Assassin's Creed: Night Raid
by thirdegree101
Summary: Tatsumi was an Assassin, until he left in order to leave his past sins behind him. But now he's back, ready to take back a corrupted city. That is, if his chequered past doesn't come back to kill him first. Will contain elements from Resident Evil, Prototype, and other horror/action games. AC and AGK are owned by Ubisoft and Square Enix. Cover image is from vancent7 on Deviantart.
1. Monsters in Human Skin

_"The Templars cannot have this..."_

 _"This can't be happening…"_

 _"Is there no low you won't sink to?!..."_

 _"Please never lose yourself again…"_

 _"If we're family, then promise to never leave me alone. Not like they did…"_

 _"I'm the only one here who knows what betrayal truly feels like!..."_

 _"You will burn in hell, Diabolos..."_

 _"Jigoku no fuhai…"_

 _The sound of a slash and blood splattering rang out._

A young boy of about 17 abruptly awoke from a deep sleep, breathing heavily. He had bright green eyes, and brown hair curving down with a cowlick on top. He was wearing a wife beater and black shorts. He sighed.

"Another one of those damn dreams."

The boy got out of bed and walked to the other side of the room, rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes. He stopped at a shelf and looked at a wide picture in a frame. It showed himself with eight other people, smiling. He smiled in reminiscence, then walked over to a closet with a serious look. He opened it, then pulled a small gauntlet with metal parts to it out of a drawer.

"It's finally time."

He then grabbed a white duster coat with a hood.

"Ready or not Imperial Capital, here I come."

 _Time skip a few days:_

The brown-haired boy from before was walking through the woods at a steady pace. He was wearing his white trench coat unbuttoned and a black shirt, and had a sheathed katana strapped to his back. He had a hood up, and black mask on his face from the nose down. He had fingerless gloves, black boots with blue straps, and wore a grim look, hands deep in his coat pockets.

 _"Almost there. I just hope it's not too late."_

Further down the main path, a group of armored men were on a horse-drawn cart, when the area started rumbling. Suddenly, out of the ground, a gigantic brown lizard/cockroach-looking creature appeared, roaring. The men panicked.

"It's an Earth Dragon!"

"I thought they didn't appear on the main path!"

"Who cares?! Run!"

The dragon lunged, it's claw posed to kill. The men screamed in panic. Suddenly, there was a loud slashing noise. The men looked up, and saw that the dragon's right arm was now missing from it's body, with blood spouting from the wound. They stood there, both relieved and confused.

"What the- What happened?"

They looked behind the dragon, and there stood the boy from the woods. His katana was unsheathed, blood lining the blade. He turned to the disarmed beast.

"Class 1 Danger Beast. An Earth Dragon. Should make for a good workout." He said dryly.

The dragon turned and lunged at the boy, roaring angrily.

"Hey kid, look out!"

The dragon's claw had hit the ground, making a dust cloud, but the boy had already leapt above the beast.

"Don't be mad."

He started falling towards the beast, sword pulled back.

"I'll take care of you!"

The boy rapidly swung his sword, coming down hard on the dragon. When he landed, he took the sheath off of his back. He spun the sword, flicking off the blood, and slowly placed it back in the scabbard. After the notable 'klink', a bunch of severe wounds appeared on the Danger Beast's body. It fell dead, its large body stirring up a dust cloud.

When the dust settled, the men ran over to the boy.

"Kid, that was incredible! Who are you?"

The boy took down his hood and mask, and looked at the men with a small smile.

"The name's Tatsumi. Just another boy who's skilled with a blade. You guys okay?"

The men bowed in thanks.

"We're fine, thanks to you."

One of them walked back to the cart, then came over with a small bag.

"Here's some money as thanks."

Tatsumi accepted the bag.

"Thanks, but I must ask, how far is the Capital? I have business to attend to there."

The men tensed up.

"L-look kid, you may wanna' turn back now." One of the men stuttered, nervous.

Tatsumi gave a questioning look.

"Why's that?"

 _"Time to see if what I've heard back home is true."_

"You see kid, the Capital isn't some paradise like you've probably heard." One man said, before gesturing to the fallen dragon. "In fact, it's brimming with monsters even more vicious than this Earth Dragon."

Tatsumi gave a smirk.

"A city filled with Danger Beasts?" He joked.

The man shook his head, not catching his tone.

"No kid. I'm talking about the people. Humans, but with the hearts of monsters. The entire damn place is crawling with those bastards."

Tatsumi frowned, then closed his eyes in thought.

"... I know."

The men looked shocked. Appalled, even.

"You know?! Then why would you go?!"

Tatsumi opened his eyes, which gained a darker look.

"Some things are just worth the risk."

The men still looked shocked. One of them sighed, then caved.

"We left about twenty minutes ago. Since you're not carrying too much, you should be there a bit faster."

"Thank you."

Tatsumi bowed, then left. As he walked, he pondered the man's words.

 _"Monsters in the guise of men."_

He clenched his fist.

 _"Despite all I've said and done, I had hoped I'd be done with this life. But deep down, I knew that I'd never just be able to up and leave."_

Tatsumi calmed himself, and continued at a steady pace.

 _"In the time I'm there, blood will be spilt, perhaps even my own. But this, this is the only way to make amends."_

With that thought, Tatsumi continued onwards.

 _ **Nothing lasts forever. All people and nations eventually become nothing more than dust and ash in the wind. However, as long as people continue to exist, the war between ideals will never end. Where there is life, there is darkness. Where there is darkness, there is evil. Where evil stands, we will rise, to protect the unarmed and punish those the heavens cannot judge. We fight for absolute freedom. We insure vengeance upon the greedy and amoral. We work in the shadows to serve the light. We, are Assassins.**_

 _ **Nothing is true. Everything is permitted.**_

 **Assassin's Creed: Night Raid**

 _ **Chapter 1: Monsters in Human Skin**_

About ten minutes later, Tatsumi was in the Imperial Capital. It was bustling with people, and at first glance seemed like a sight for sore eyes.

"This place sure seems nice." He said, gazing at the scenery. "It definitely is good with first impressions."

Then Tatsumi took a closer look at the people themselves. Everyone looked sad, malnourished, or paranoid, some of them all three. Overall, pretty miserable.

 _"Then again, things look different once you learn to read between the lines."_

Tatsumi looked up in thought.

 _"I've never been to the Capital before, and the Assassins are very few in number here. And if corruption here is as rampant as I've heard, that limits who I can trust, which was already very limited to begin with. What should I do?"_

Something in Tatsumi clicked.

"Wait a minute. Eagle Sense, duh!"

Tatsumi used his Eagle Sense, but the second he turned it on, he clutched his head, bent over, and turned it off.

 _"Holy shit! So much anger, misery, evil! I'm sensing it from every corner of this hellhole!"_

He let go of his head and straightened up before people started looking at him weird.

"Even if I was more adept with Eagle Sense like I used to be, there's no way I could've been prepared for all that animosity. I'll have to practice and get used to it again later."

He looked ahead.

"Guess for now I'll just explore."

Little did Tatsumi know, as he was walking around, he was being followed. It was a woman with short blonde hair. She smiled.

"Heh, he looks lost. Maybe I can have some fun with him."

Tatsumi kept going, and eventually made it to the barracks. He walked inside, and saw a few more confident looking men sitting on benches, and a grumpier one writing down notes and checking forms at a desk.

 _"Might as well get a feel for how things are done here."_

He walked up to the desk and rapped on it.

"'Scuse me sir?"

The man looked up, an uninterested frown marring his face.

"What is it brat?"

Tatsumi winced at that.

 _"Gee, some introduction."_

"Sorry to bug you, but i'm new here, and there are some things I'd like to know. For starters, if I were to sign up for the military, how would I be placed?'

The man raised a brow, like he was talking to an idiot.

"You'd fill out a form and start out as a grunt."

Tatsumi raised a brow back.

"That's it? There's no exam? You don't judge their skill before placing them?"

Now the man looked frustrated.

"Look kid, we're in the middle of a depression. We got people ranging from your age to old geezers coming in by the minute. We don't have the time nor care to do a test, so you either put up, or shut up."

Then he put up a snide grin.

"Besides…"

He leaned closer.

"... I doubt a runt like you would get very far anyway." He taunted.

Now Tatsumi was mad. He leaned closer, looking the man dead in the eye.

"Alright then you old fart, why don't you come to the other side of this desk and find out yourself?"

The man glared and stood up.

"You got a death wish, you little punk?"

The man started to reach for his left hip, when Tatsumi grabbed his arm.

"I don't know what the hell you're reaching for, but you better think very carefully about what'll happen next."

They stared each other down for a few seconds.

A minute later, Tatsumi was literally **thrown** out of the building, but stuck the landing with a picture-perfect ninja roll, and was somehow unscathed. He turned around to glare at the man, who was now standing in the doorway. While Tatsumi was unharmed, the man was sporting a black eye, broken lip, bloody nose, and a slight limp.

"DON'T EVER COME BACK, YOU TINY PIECE OF SHIT!"

He slammed the door. Tatsumi held up a middle finger towards the building.

"YEAH, SCREW YOU TOO!"

He got up, dusting off his shoulders.

"There ain't a man in this world or the next who gets away with pulling a piece on me."

He then pulled out of his coat, said piece that he had swiped.

"At least I got something good out of it." He said before putting the gun away.

Tatsumi was about to walk away, when he heard a voice.

"Hey kid!"

Tatsumi turned around, and gawked at the lady staring back at him. She was quite beautiful, with a smile that was as bright as her hair, but what caught him off guard was her outfit, which was so risque, you could easily make out her body shape, and it was easy to see the size of a certain pair resting on her chest, with it barely being covered by a tube top.

"Hey kid, eyes up here!" She said, snapping her fingers a couple of times. Tatsumi looked up.

"Uh, um, hi there! But, uh, who are you?"

The woman snickered.

"The name's Leone Wylde, and I'm guessing you're new here, correct?"

Tatsumi visibly calmed.

"Uh, how could you tell?" Tatsumi said, struggling to keep his eyes from facing downwards.

"I've been here a good long while, it's just a capability you get. Let me guess, you came to the Capital looking for money and fame correct?"

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed, and he gained a smirk.

 _"Alright Leone, I'll play along."_

"Yeah, fame and fortune would be nice. Why, you got some advice for a poor lil' dude like me?"

"You might say that, and I'll give it to you over lunch, if you treat me!"

Tatsumi was hesitant about it, but he had already had a lot of money, along with the cash he got from the men on the road. Also, he had done some pickpocketing while walking through the streets. Money wasn't really an issue at the moment.

 _"I guess I could afford to pay for this girl's fill and see what happens."_

"Alright, I'll go with this. Lead the way."

"Cool! Oh, and I never got your name!" Leone said, holding out her hand. Tatsumi took it with a smile.

"It's Tatsumi. Tatsumi Diabolos."

Pretty soon, Tatsumi and Leone were inside a bar and grill, and while Tatsumi was enjoying a hot sandwich, Leone had finished two cups of beer, and was nearing her third.

"'Gulp'. Aaaah, that hit the spot!"

Scratch that, she had just finished her third.

 _"Revealing clothes, and heavy drinking. How the hell is this woman not in jail for public indecency?"_

While Leone was in her slightly drunken daze, Tatsumi decided to try his Eagle Sense once more. With less people nearby, it should be easier on his senses.

 _"Okay, let's try again."_

He turned it on, and there was still a strain, though much less severe than before. As for what he could sense from Leone, it was actually a balance between good and bad, though not really in a happy medium sort of way. There was a bit of good nature, but he could also sense some malicious intent, though not specifically towards him. There was also a hint of playfulness, but that was obvious from the get-go.

 _"A person like this can either be really good, or really bad. I'd say it's time to stop fooling around."_

"Alright, you've had your drink, now can we get on with the advice you offered? I don't have all day."

Leone motioned for Tatsumi to come a bit closer. He leaned in.

"I got a buddy who's really high in the military. If I talk to him, he can get you in, though you'll need a lot of dough."

Tatsumi quirked an eyebrow.

"Dough? You mean cash?"

Leone smiled.

"Yup! So show me whatcha' got!"

Though he hid it well, Tatsumi was beyond frustrated.

 _"What a waste of time. I try to get some info, only to wind up with some blonde bitch trying to scam me. But if she's gonna' attempt to play me, she'll get more than she bargained for."_

"Okay then…"

Suddenly, there was a slamming noise, making Leone and Tatsumi jump in their seats. At the entrance to the bar, a group of angry looking men were looking around. When their eyes landed on Leone and Tatsumi, they all grinned.

"Found you."

Leone hung her head.

"Knew this would happen eventually."

Tatsumi looked shocked as he realized what she meant.

 _"How many poor bastards has this broad conned?!"_

The men walked up to the table.

"You got a lot of nerve, showing your mug around here bitch. My brother ain't too happy about that scam you pulled." One of them said.

"You owe me for those drinks!"

"Where's the money I won in that poker game?!"

Tatsumi could feel the anger radiating off of these people. If they didn't get their money here and now, they would definitely hurt, and possibly even kill Leone. He cringed at the thought.

 _"I'm still a little pissed over her scamming attempt, but I don't want her dead. Just this once, I'll try to talk them out of this"._

Tatsumi waved to the men.

"Hey fellas"?

They turned to Tatsumi.

"Yeah, hi there. Look, I understand you may have some difficulties with my friend here, but right now, we're just having a chat over lunch. I'm not sure what issues you may have with her, but could just let us finish eating before you settle anything?" Tatsumi said, hopeful.

The biggest guy leaned over to Tatsumi.

"By the looks of it, she ain't eatin' anything kid, and even so, we've done enough waiting. You should leave, before you get hurt."

Leone leaned closer to Tatsumi.

"He's not joking around. You should get going".

All the playfulness in Leone's voice was gone, replaced with concern, which, given the circumstances, was quite surprising.

 _"Guess she's not really a bad person. Oh well."_

He sighed.

"Alright then. See you around Leone, at least I hope."

Tatsumi got up, and just as he got to the door, one of the thugs decided to throw one more remark.

"Yeah, get your sorry ass out of here, twerp."

Tatsumi gained an angry look.

 _"That's it. The yahoo's going down."_

Instead of walking outside, Tatsumi started twisting the locks of the door, loud enough for the others to hear. They turned towards him again.

"You know, I was gonna' let you go about your business, but then you just had to go and be an asshole."

As he did the last lock, he pulled his katana sheath off of his back. Leone hung her head, pitying the kid.

"You understand what I mean by that, right?"

One of the bigger guys smirked.

"No, you little shit, what?"

Tatsumi grabbed the handle of his sword.

"War, you son of a bitch." He swung his sword, causing the scabbard to fly off and hit the biggest man square in the forehead, knocking him to the floor, dazed. The sheath flew into the air, which Tatsumi effortlessly caught and placed back on his sword.

Leone was shocked.

"What the heck?"

The men stared at Tatsumi as he slowly walked back to them. He had a small smirk, and a devious glint in his eye.

"Now then, are we just gonna' stand around here all day, or are we gonna' fight?"

One of the guys in the back of the group charged with a raised fist, but Tatsumi blocked it with the handle of his sword, and directed towards another guy in the group, knocking him to the floor, and a tooth out of his jaw.

All the men charged Tatsumi at once, and although they had bigger frames, Tatsumi was easily blocking and parrying them, whether it was with his sheathed blade, his arms, or legs. When one of them pulled out a knife, he used his buddy as a meat shield. He broke one man's wrist over the bar counter. He even caused two of the men to smack headfirst into each other.

When Tatsumi had dealt with the rest, the guy he had tossed his scabbard at had gotten up, and taken out a revolver. Noticing this, Tatsumi finally unsheathed his sword, deftly blocking and deflecting each bullet.

"YOU SON OF BITCH, I'LL HAVE YOU BRIMMING WIth lead…"

The man stopped shouting, looking down at his gun as he pulled the trigger again, only to hear a click. He was out of ammo. When he looked back up, Tatsumi was threatening him at swordpoint. Smirking, Tatsumi lifted up the blade, and came down on the man's forehead with the butt of the handle, this time knocking him out well and good.

The bartender watching was quivering. Noticing him, Tatsumi sheathed his katana and placed it on his back. He then reached into his coat, startling the man.

"Hey, hey, hey! Look pal, if I did anything, then I'm sorry! Please, I want no trouble!"

To his shock, instead of a weapon, Tatsumi took out a small bag of money, and tossed it to the quivering man.

"That should cover the damages and then some."

The man looked at the bag in his hands in shock, then nodded towards Tatsumi and went to the back of the bar, perfectly understanding what Tatsumi meant by "and then some."

Leone's jaw was agape as Tatsumi sat down. Tatsumi sighed, took another bite of his sandwich, and flopped back in the chair.

"You know, this sandwich is really good, you should get one."

Leone slammed her hands on the table.

"Screw the sandwich! Where did you learn moves like that?"

Tatsumi took another bite.

"Nowhere near here, that's for sure. By the way, the next time you try to con someone, you may not want to get drunk first."

Leone blushed with a guilty look.

"Oh, you uh, caught that?"

Tatsumi gave Leone an "are you stupid" sort of look.

"Pretty much. I may not be from around here, but I'm not some naïve redneck like you think. A perfect stranger giving the deal of a lifetime in return for cash? Not to be trusted. The second I handed you anything, you'd be out of here, never to be seen again".

He then leaned closer.

"Besides, even if I didn't catch it earlier, the fact that an entire gang of men came in accusing you of playing them was a dead giveaway."

Leone had to acknowledge that this guy was nothing like she had thought.

"Alright, you got me. Sorry kid."

Tatsumi shrugged.

"Whatever. You showed genuine concern for my wellbeing when those guys threatened me, so you can't be all bad."

Leone smirked.

 _"Kid, if you only knew."_

"Besides, you're not the only one who's been lying."

Leone gave a questioning glance.

"What do you mean?"

Tatsumi smiled.

"I lied about my reasons for coming here. I'm not after fame and fortune. I don't really like sticking out. I'm here for reasons a tad bit more, well, personal, than glory."

Leone gave a small smile.

"I don't really understand personal, but I do know a few guys who would."

"Really? Maybe I'll meet them someday."

Leone shrugged.

"I doubt it. They also don't like sticking out."

Tatsumi smirked.

"Can't say the same for you."

They shared a laugh. Tatsumi finished his sandwich and stood up.

"Nice meeting you Leone. Also, I'd suggest you skedaddle before one of these guys wakes up."

They both exited the bar and said their goodbyes.

Later that night, Tatsumi was walking along the road, still not having a place to settle. He eventually found a lamppost to lean on, arms crossed.

"Man, everywhere is too shoddy or expensive. What does it take to find a decent place to sleep at night?"

He opened his coat and looked inside.

"At least I managed to find a holster and more ammo for this gun."

He closed his coat and sat down on a bench.

"There's no turning back now."

 **Flashback:**

"Tatsumi, are you positive about this?"

Tatsumi was sitting in front of a desk, wearing more casual clothes. An older hooded man in an oriental-style black and gray suit was behind the desk.

"Honestly, no I'm not, but I don't think this is something I could walk away from."

The older man rested his chin on his hands.

"You know that most of our allies in the Capital know you only for what you once were. On top of that…"

He leaned closer.

"I can tell you're not completely over it yourself."

Tatsumi grimaced as some bloodier memories surfaced in his mind. He shook his head and looked back at the man.

"That means nothing. Even if I'm not technically one of you anymore, the Assassins are the only family I have left, and currently, those that I'm closest to are in the nastiest part in this God-forsaken country there is. This won't slide."

The man rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"If it were anyone else, I'd have them kicked right out of here. But even if I said no, you probably wouldn't listen anyway."

He leaned back in his chair.

"Go get whatever gear you have left, then get some rest. I'll have everything else you need ready by tomorrow morning."

Tatsumi stood up and bowed. He turned to leave.

 **Flashback End:**

Ending his daydream, Tatsumi wondered if there was any place to stay the night. Then, as if by magic, a horse-drawn carriage was going by. It stopped suddenly, and a young girl with a blue and white dress and short blonde hair came out. She was followed by two guards. She walked up to Tatsumi.

"Hey, are you okay? You look lost."

Tatsumi looked up at her.

"Eh, not exactly. I just don't have a place to stay the night."

The girl looked thoughtful. Then she smiled.

"Well, not to worry!"

She held a hand down to Tatsumi.

"My name's Aria Vernal, and you can stay with me and my family!"

Tatsumi perked up.

"Do you mean it?"

One of the guards walked up.

"It's best to accept her offer. Lady Aria is always doing this."

On the outside, Tatsumi looked eager. But on the inside, he was suspicious.

 _"This seems a little odd. She's fine with inviting perfect strangers home? I'd use my Eagle Sense, but I've used it too much today around so much negative feelings with too little practice. The pain would be unbearable. But, I guess if this goes to shit, I can fight my way out."_

"Sure, I'll join you!"

"Great! Let's go!"

Aria pulled Tatsumi over to the carriage. However, Tatsumi failed to notice an evil smile Aria's face.

At Aria's house, Tatsumi was currently having dinner and chatting with her and her family. The food was delicious, and they were nice people.

 _"I guess i never really had anything to worry about."_

Aria's father, an older man in a brown suit, chuckled.

"You really are an entertaining boy, Tatsumi. I must ask, where are you from?"

Tatsumi took a swig from his cup.

"A long ways away from here Mr. Vernal. I came to the Capital for some personal reasons."

Now the father looked curious.

"Did you come with anyone else?"

He shook his head.

"I came alone. I had actually arrived looking for some people who had come here before me."

Aria's mother, a woman with blonde hair and a white dress, smiled.

"Feel free to stay here until you find your friends and have everything sorted out. We have plenty of money and space to spare."

Tatsumi held up his hand.

"No, I can't just live off your resources for nothing in return. I can make myself useful if you need help. I like to think myself an able-bodied person."

Aria looked thoughtful, then held up a finger.

"Well, if you'd like to help, tomorrow I plan to go shopping in the city. You could provide your services then, pointing out what I may be looking for and carrying some bags every so often."

Tatsumi nodded.

"That will be just fine."

Tatsumi got up from his seat.

"If it's okay, I'd like to go to sleep now."

They all nodded. Aria patted his shoulder.

"Rest well Tatsumi. Goodnight! Oh, and I'm sure you'll meet your friends soon!"

Tatsumi nodded, then left.

Later that night, Tatsumi was lying in bed, contemplating what's happened already.

"I still haven't seen anyone I know yet, but the Vernals seems nice, and I think Leone counts as a friend."

He turned left and looked out the window.

"I've got a lot of work to do."

The next morning, Tatsumi and a few of the guards were accompanying Aria on her shopping trip. Tatsumi was loading a larger box onto the cart, which was already well-packed.

"Man, this girl sure loves her shopping." He said, wiping off his forehead.

One of the guards patted him on the back.

"It's not just her. Every woman wants this. She just has the money for it."

Tatsumi decided to see if he can learn more about his surroundings. He turned to a guard and whispered.

"Hey, I've heard a few nasty rumors about the Capital. I'd just like to clarify, is the Capital really as corrupt as I've been told?"

The guard looked nervous. He looked around to make sure no one was listening, then pointed slightly upwards behind Tatsumi.

"Look up there kid."

Tatsumi looked, and saw what appeared to be a huge castle/fortress, way bigger than any he's ever seen.

"That's the Emperor's palace."

Tatsumi's eyes widened.

"The Emperor? The person who could change this country at the flick of a wrist?"

The guard leaned in so he can whisper.

"Not exactly. See, the Emperor is only a child, so he doesn't know shit about what he's doing. Because of that, he's controlled like a puppet by the Prime Minister. It's because of him that the Capital is a cesspool of corruption."

Now Tatsumi's interest was piqued.

"The Minister?"

 _"Could he be a Templar, or just a greedy man with power?"_

The guard gained a panicked look.

"Be careful how loud you speak, kid. If someone of authority hears us talking about him like this, that'll be our heads."

Tatsumi grimaced.

"Sounds like a real shitfest."

The guard nodded.

"You have no idea. On top of that, there are people like those."

He pointed to a nearby building. On the wall was a set of wanted posters. Below each picture was a title.

 **Night Raid**

"Night Raid?"

"A team of assassins who terrorize the Capital. They usually target higher-ups and authority figures of the elite class. As their name suggests, they usually strike at night."

Tatsumi narrowed his eyes.

 _"I may have heard of them somewhere. From home maybe?"_

"Because of them, we're always on our toes."

The guard then pointed behind Tatsumi.

"But for now, let's just worry about that."

Tatsumi turned and saw Aria skipping over, and trailing behind her were two of her guards, struggling to hold up a giant present box, bigger than the both of them combined. Tatsumi sweatdropped.

"Just great."

Later that night, Mrs. Vernal was wandering through the halls, smiling and holding her diary in her hands.

"Another entry to add to my diary. What an addicting hobby this is!"

Suddenly, for less then a second, she felt a searing pain around her hip area, then everything was upside down. The last thing she saw was the bottom half of her body, and standing behind it was a woman with purple hair, wearing glasses and a cheongsam dress, wielding what appeared to be a giant pair of bloodstained scissors.

"I'm sorry." Was all she said.

Tatsumi, who was lying in bed, suddenly felt a hot wave of killing intent rush through him. He shot up.

"What the hell?"

He turned towards the door to his room with a steeled look.

"Something's wrong."

Tatsumi burst out the door with his gear and ran through the halls, until he saw something suspicious in the windows. He looked outside, and what he saw was a little more than shocking. It was a group of people standing on top of what looked almost like a green spider web, killing intent coming off of them in waves. His eyes narrowed.

"So it's them. Night Raid."

There was a girl in a pink dress and pigtails, wielding what appeared to be a modified sniper rifle, and a girl with black hair and red eyes in a black trench coat, dressed in a black and red student's outfit. There was a man in full body armor wielding a large red spear, and a boy with with green trench coat and hair who seemed to be controlling the threads they were standing on. Finally, there was a blonde-haired woman who seemed to possess several cat-like traits. She had yellow cat ears on top of her head, and her hands were yellow-furred paws with elongated black claws. She even had a tail. She actually looked strangely familiar, though Tatsumi brushed that off.

"What could they be here for? Is it because this family is rich? Or are they here for me? Are they hunting the Assassins?"

His hand clenched.

"If they're the reason why I haven't met any of them yet, there will be hell to pay."

Tatsumi got closer to the window and looked down, and he saw a bunch of guards outside. They were going to confront Night Raid.

The said assassins were communicating.

"Hey Akame, those guards are targets to." The green guy said to the black haired girl.

"I'll eliminate them." The girl now known as Akame said.

Akame jumped, and unsheathed a katana with a red handle with foreign markings on it. She landed gracefully. The man in armor also jumped, landing behind her with a boom. The guards watching them grimaced.

"Listen. Whatever you do, don't let that girl's sword even graze you." One of them said.

The men charged, but it was all for naught. Akame's sword easily slashed through them. The armored man slashed through one, then tossed his polearm, impaling another one.

Then, something strange occurred. Akame slashed at a guard, but only managed to graze his wrist. But strangely, the guard started grasping the minor wound in a panic, and fell dead in seconds.

Tatsumi was shocked at the display.

"One cut killed him? How?"

Something clicked in his head as he remembered the day he left.

 **Flashback:**

Tatsumi was standing in front of a dirt road leading out of a small town, the orientally dressed man standing in front of him.

"Just blades and some bombs?" Tatsumi asked. "I could also use a firearm."

The man shook his head.

"Sorry. That's the best I can do for you in terms of weapons."

Then he walked closer.

"But before you leave, I do have something to let you know."

"Yes sir, what is it?" Tatsumi asked.

The man held out a small brown book to Tatsumi. He grabbed it, looking at the cover. It read "Imperial Arms."

"Imperial Arms? What are those?"

"They are 48 magical weapons said to hold incredible power." The man replied. "They were created by the First Emperor of the Capital, using rare metals and parts from the most powerful Danger Beasts to grace the Earth."

Tatsumi's eyes widened.

"How come I was never told of these before?"

The man grimaced.

"We didn't see it necessary. We haven't heard of or seen them in over a century, so we assumed they were all destroyed, but we were wrong. We have received quite a few reports of wounds and kills that could only have been inflicted by these weapons, and reports of people being seen using them".

Tatsumi skimmed through the book, more impressed with each page. The weapons listed were incredible.

 _"You're kidding. This shit shouldn't even be possible."_

Tatsumi looked up.

"Who uses these?"

The man closed his eyes in thought.

"A group of contract killers in the City. Their skill is on par with ours, though I can't say they're subtle. They tend to leave quite the mess behind."

He put a hand on Tatsumi's shoulder.

"I should warn you my boy, confronting those wielding these could be your worst mistake. The weapons depicted in this book are so powerful, that they have their own rule. The law of Imperial Combat."

Tatsumi was confused.

"Imperial Combat?"

The man nodded.

"You see Tatsumi, these Imperial Arms are so powerful, that when two of them fight, mutual survivability is next to impossible."

Tatsumi looked troubled.

"So one will always die?"

"Yes. Now, imagine the risk if you were to take one on without your own."

Tatsumi grimaced, but didn't relent.

"Thanks, but it won't change my mind."

The man smiled.

"Still stubborn as a wild ass."

Tatsumi smiled back.

"It's part of my charm."

He backed up slightly, and bowed.

"Farewell Mentor."

The Mentor smirked.

"Just make it back alive."

As he walked away, Tatsumi skimmed through the pages once more. The last one he saw depicted an impressive-looking katana, that had a red handle with foreign markings on it.

 **Flashback End:**

Tatsumi looked closer at the weapon in question, and noticed how familiar it was.

Then it hit him.

 _"That sword. I recognize it from the book the Mentor gave me! It's an Imperial Arms!"_

Tatsumi clenched his fist.

 _"So the rumors about those weapons are true! But what did the book say about that sword?"_

Back on the battlefield, one of the guards panicked and attempted to run, but the pink sniper had aimed her gun, and pulled the trigger. Instead of a bullet, a beam of energy was released from the barrel, and got him right through the head.

"Not much of a bodyguard if they're gonna' run off like that." She said.

"I think anyone would have run from something like that." The green-haired guy said.

Tatsumi considered what he was watching.

 _"I could confront them, but I doubt I could take them all on at once. What do I do?"_

He felt another wave of killing intent. He looked back outside, and saw that the cat lady had disappeared. He ran down the hall.

"Dammit, she must be in the hou- Holy shit!"

Tatsumi suddenly stopped, as he had just found the bisected body of Aria's mother. He clenched his fist, angry at his incompetence.

"Godammit. This must have been what I felt earlier."

He closed the eyes on the corpse and inspected the two halves.

"This wound is too smooth. She wasn't ripped, she was cut. This couldn't be that cat lady. Whoever did this knows their way around a blade, and a large one at that."

In another part of the house, the cat lady had found the father. She was holding him up by the throat, her tail twitching in excitement.

"Please let me go! I have a daughter!" He pleaded. The woman grinned evilly.

"Don't worry. You'll be seeing her real soon." The woman said in fake reassurance.

The man's eyes widened.

"What?! Even my daughter?! Have you no mercy?!" The father panicked.

The woman's grin grew bigger.

"Mercy? What's that?"

She squeezed tighter, snapping his neck and killing him. She dropped the body to the floor with a thump, wiped off her brow, and walked to the door.

"Time to finish the- Ngh!"

As she reached for the knob, she felt something sharp go into her abdomen. She looked down, and saw a katana blade piercing through the door and into her belly.

"What the hell?!" She said in a strained voice. She started to reach for the blade. Suddenly, something smashed in the door from the other side, sending it into her. She fell back, the door landing on her. Coming to her senses, she angrily tossed away the broken door, and saw, standing in the entrance, a masked and hooded Tatsumi, green eyes staring her down, holding a sword that had her blood lining the tip.

"First the dragon, then the receptionist, then some assholes in a bar. But this? A deranged cat girl? I gotta' say, the Capital certainly has a way of keeping you entertained."

Said cat girl stood up with a feral grin.

"Congratulations stranger. You just succeeded in making me very pissed off."

Tatsumi flicked the blood off his sword and sheathed it.

"Before we dance, tell me something. Which one of your friends killed the mother? It obviously wasn't you."

The woman got in a position to fight, as did Tatsumi.

"I'd be more worried about myself if I were you. Anyone who gets in Night Raid's way has a tendency to regret it".

The two fighters charged each other. Locked in close quarters combat, both sides were deftly blocking each others strikes. Tatsumi analyzed her fighting style.

 _"She has the advantage in physical strength, but her strikes are more reckless, and she doesn't seem to be concealing any weapons. I can take her"._

Tatsumi ducked underneath her swing and punched her in the gut, then noticed something strange.

 _"Where's the wound I gave her earlier?"_

The girl took advantage of the distraction to push him back and grab him by the neck. Before she could tighten her grip, Tatsumi grabbed her arm with his left hand, and she felt something sharp enter her left arm. Her grip loosened, and to her shock, she saw a hidden blade appear below Tatsumi's right palm, which he swung at her neck. It drew blood, but she ducked back so the wound wouldn't be lethal, then retreated back a few steps.

Tatsumi retracted his hidden blades.

"Nice reflexes. I was aiming for your carotid artery, but I doubt you'll just walk that off."

The lady spit out some blood with a smirk.

"Are you sure about that?"

To Tatsumi's shock, the wounds he inflicted on her arm and even her neck rapidly started to close up.

 _"Super healing? So that's where the wound I left earlier went. Blades won't be enough. I'll have to get loud."_

Tatsumi charged his adversary. Just as she was about to do the same, he pulled out his gun and fired. A lack of practice with the firearm prevented Tatsumi from getting a headshot, but the resulting flinch from hitting the woman's shoulder gave him all the time he needed. He shoulder-charged her, then wrapped his left arm around her torso. Now close up, Tatsumi fired two shots into her knee-caps.

"AGH, FUCKING HELL!" The lady cursed, punching Tatsumi in the solar plexus, temporarily stunning him as she pushed him back. Tatsumi fired again, missing Leone, but hitting the window behind her, causing it to break. Seeing an opportunity to end this, Tatsumi ran up and grabbed the woman's shoulders. He landed a headbutt, then pushed her closer to the broken window. Punching her in the gut, Tatsumi knocked her out of the mansion, plummeting a couple stories below. As the coup de grâce, he took a small grenade out of his coat, pulled the pin, and tossed it out of the window, an explosion occurring after about three seconds. Tatsumi fell on his butt, pulling down his mask and panting heavily.

"Heal from that, bitch."

He felt the area where the woman struck him. Miraculously, nothing was broken, but catching his breath would be an issue for about a minute.

"Son of an asshole, that hurts!"

Regardless, he got up. He walked over to the father, feeling for a pulse. He felt nothing. Sighing, he closed the dead man's eyes, then stood up, putting a hand to his chin.

 _"I can only assume Night Raid is targeting this family to rob them, but it seems they have no intention of leaving any survivors. With Mr. and Mrs. Vernal gone, Aria's the only one left."_

He turned towards the window.

"If I'm gonna' keep these guys from Aria, I can't play it safe any longer. I need to at least keep them busy."

He started to run towards the window, when alarms started going off in his head. He stopped abruptly, as a yellow beam had cut through his field of vision, narrowly missing him.

"Shit! That sniper must have seen me!"

Tatsumi turned around and took off into the halls, trying to find another way out. Meanwhile, back outside, the blonde cat girl was lying on the ground, slowly healing from the wounds inflicted on her, having somehow survived. The other assassins, excluding Akame and the scissor girl, had ran up to her.

"Are you okay?" The green-haired guy asked.

The woman sat up, and cracked her neck.

"I'm fine. But damn, that kid can fight. I haven't been thrown like that in years."

"We should catch up to him." The armored man said, lifting up his spear. The lady held up a hand to stop him.

"Hold on a second. Let me think."

The sniper girl raised a brow.

"Think about what? He's obviously an enemy."

The blonde ignored her, putting a hand on her chin.

 _"White hooded trench coat, bright green eyes, top-notch fighting skills, and wielding a katana. There's no mistaking it!"_

She turned to her allies.

"You guys head back. I'll take care of him."

They all looked appalled.

"Are you shitting me?!" The sniper girl shouted. "After he knocked you out a window and blew you up?!"

"ALMOST. Almost, blew me up." The woman said. "Just trust me on this. Besides, worse come to worst, I'll have Akame backing me up."

She took off before they could argue further.

 _"Now I understand why that kid said he doesn't like standing out."_ She thought.

Further away, Aria was being pulled away by one of her guards through the woods. They were headed to a large shed in a clearing.

"We should be safe in there." The guard said.

As they reached the door to the shed, a voice called them.

"Aria! You're okay!"

They turned, and saw Tatsumi had caught up.

"Tatsumi! I was afraid you had been killed." Aria said with relief.

"I can't be killed that easily. I'll keep them at bay."

Aria and the guard nodded, then started to unlock the shed. Tatsumi turned, hood and mask pulled up, bracing himself for the enemy to arrive.

"Come and get me, assholes."

Right on cue, someone had appeared from the woods. Akame, sheathed sword in hand, was walking closer.

"There you are." Tatsumi took out his sword.

Akame unsheathed her sword and seemingly charged Tatsumi, who got in a fighting stance.

"Not a target." She said, almost robotically.

To Tatsumi's shock, instead of confronting him, she leapt above him, and charged Aria and her guard upon landing. The guard took out an SMG and started firing. Amazingly, Akame dodged the shots, got up close, and slashed through the guard's torso, disemboweling him.

Aria stood there in horror her guard was cut down. She fell on her butt, whimpering as Akame moved closer. The assassin pulled back her sword to swing.

"You deserve this."

"Hold it right there, red eyes!"

Akame narrowly blocked Tatsumi's sword swing, then jumped back a few yards. Tatsumi stood in front of Aria, a look of unwavering determination in his eyes.

"I told you, you're not a target." Akame said. "You don't have to die. Leave now."

"And once I leave, you'll kill this girl?" Tatsumi responded.

"Of course. She's my target." She held up her sword.

"Then you should know what my answer is". He held up his sword. "I will not let you kill an innocent."

Akame looked slightly disappointed. "Then you will die tonight."

Both fighters stared each other down.

 _"Her skill is about equal to mine, and I have more weapons on me. However, I still haven't completely recovered from my earlier fight, and if she takes too long, the rest of Night Raid may come looking for this girl. If I'm to win this, I need to do it as fast as possible."_

Both fighters charged each other, rapidly swinging their swords. Sparks were flying as the blades became silver blurs in the air. They suddenly got in close and locked swords, when Akame pushed out Tatsumi's blade to the side. She aimed a slash at his head, but he lifted up his right hand, using the metal part of his gauntlet to block. He let out the hidden blade, and attempted to stab Akame in the face. She leaned back to dodge, then backflipped away.

 _"She's good. I'll have to keep up the pressure."_

Tatsumi reached into his coat, grabbing what looked like a handful of black plastic spheres. He tossed them to the ground, creating a smokescreen. He pulled out his gun, firing a few rounds into the cloud.

"Did I get her?"

He quickly activated his Eagle Sense, and noticed a malignant presence to his left. He quickly raised up his arm, barely blocking a sword swing with his left gauntlet, then landed a kick to his adversary's torso, knocking her away.

 _"Dammit, I thought I had her."_

Both Tatsumi and Akame were standing a distance away, evidently more tired.

"I'll admit it, you've got skills." Tatsumi said. "It's been a while since I've struggled against an opponent."

"I could say the same." Akame responded. "It's actually a shame. You could've been a valuable ally."

"Not likely. I don't associate with those who don't stay their blade from the flesh of the innocent."

After a few seconds, Akame charged once more. As Tatsumi braced himself to fight, someone came up from behind Akame, grabbing the back of her shirt and stopping her from going any further.

"You can stop right there, Akame." They said, now revealed to be the blonde cat lady.

"What are you doing?" Akame said, surprisingly calm.

"Relax Akame. I don't think you need to attack. See, I actually know this kid!"

Tatsumi looked surprised.

"Uh, okay, I'm a little lost here. How the hell are you still alive, and why are you defending me? I tried to blow you up, remember?"

The woman smiled.

"C'mon, Tatsumi! Don't you remember the beautiful big sis from before?"

 _"Beautiful big sis"?_

Then Tatsumi realized just how familiar she looked. Blonde hair, risque clothes, bright and playful smile. There was no doubt about it. Despite her more feline appearance, this was the same woman who tried and failed to con him yesterday.

His jaw dropped.

"Leone?! Is that really you?!"

"You know it Tats!" She said while holding up the "V" symbol.

Tatsumi's face turned red.

 _"That girl I mutilated was her?!"_

Leone walked a little closer, but stopped with a surprised look as Tatsumi pulled out his pistol, an angry look on his face.

"Even if we know each other, you killed Aria's father, and I know you're targeting her. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't put a bullet between your eyes."

He turned off the safety at that moment for emphasis.

"And this time, I won't miss."

Leone just looked at him, then closed her eyes with a smile and held up her hands.

"So you won't let down your guard, even in the face of someone you may have once called a friend. Glad to know you're not naïve."

She opened her eyes and pointed past Tatsumi, at the shed Aria was standing in front of.

"You want your good reason? It's sitting right behind you in that shed."

Tatsumi raised a brow.

"In the shed?"

He turned to look at the shed in question. Akame looked like she wanted to charge while his back was turned, but Leone put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't even think about it Akame. He's not really our enemy, he's just misinformed."

Tatsumi walked over to the shed, Aria still standing in front of it.

"Tatsumi, what are you doing?" She asked, a look of panic in her eyes.

"Please step aside Aria, this'll only take a second."

"Uh, I'd rather you not." She said with a nervous smile.

Now Tatsumi was suspicious.

"Stand aside."

He lightly shoved her aside, not noticing her now immense panic, then walked to the door.

 _"So what's this 'reason' Leone wants me to see?"_

Tatsumi opened the door and stepped inside. When he did, he immediately regretted it.

Corpses. Corpses everywhere. Mutilated, bloody, torn apart dead bodies. There were also a bunch of different torture and execution tools littering the place.

The sight was terrifying, and the smell was making his eyes water. Even worse, several of the bodies were Assassins he had recognized.

 _"No way. This isn't happening. This has to be a trick."_

"Welcome to the Capital, Tatsumi." Leone said from behind him. "This nice, well-meaning family had a hobby of picking poor people off of the streets, usually from out of town, and torturing them to death for their own sick pleasure."

Then Akame cut in.

"The guards were equally guilty for having defended such people, and it's likely you would be next."

As the two assassins spoke, Aria had attempted to sneak away, but was stopped as a certain feline had grabbed the top of her head.

"Oh please. You didn't honestly think we would just let you walk away from all this, did you?"

Tatsumi was still in shock at what he saw.

"The family. They did this?"

"Yup." Leone responded. "The mother, father, even this 'innocent' little girl. The mother even kept a diary detailing what they would do to their victims."

"It's a lie Tatsumi!" Aria said. "I had no idea this place even existed! Who are you gonna' believe?! These murderers, or the one who gave you a home?!"

Tatsumi didn't respond, as he had noticed something else towards the back of the shed. A blue flag, with a broad red cross. The symbol of his sworn enemy.

"Templars." He muttered.

Memories started surfacing in his head. People that he had ripped to shreds in a rage, places desecrated with the mass amount of blood he spilled.

 _"Monsters in the guise of men._ "

That familiar phrase rang out in his head.

 _"Monsters in the guise of men."_

 _"Monsters in the guise of men."_

 _"Monsters in the guise of men!"_

 _"MONSTERS IN THE GUISE OF MEN!"_

 _"MONSTERSINTHEGUISEOFMENMONSTERSINTHEGUISEOFMENMONSTERSINTHEGUISEOFMENMONSTERSINTHEGUISEOFMENMONSTERSINTHEGUISEOFMENMONSTERSINTHEGUISEOFMEN!"_

Tatsumi had fallen to his knees, sweating bullets. His hand on his chest, his heart in his throat, his pupils dilated, and his breathing labored.

"TATSUMI! TATSUMI!"

Tatsumi felt someone hug him from behind. A bit of long blonde hair obscured his vision.

"Leone?"

She looked down at him, and gave a reassuring smile.

"Calm down. You're okay."

 _"I guess he suffers from some sort of PTSD."_ She thought.

Tatsumi's breathing slowed.

"Leone?"

"Yes Tatsumi?"

He stood up.

"I'm sorry for earlier."

She smiled.

"Water under the bridge."

Tatsumi turned.

"Where's Aria?"

Leone pointed to Akame, who had her on the ground, blade against her throat.

"Let her up." Tatsumi said while walking towards them. Akame obeyed, and let her go. Aria was still sitting on the ground, looking down, her eyes having taken a deranged look.

Tatsumi stood over her, both calm and enraged.

"Why? What reason could you possibly have to make all these people suffer?"

She stood up and looked at him in a crazed anger.

"WHY SHOULD I HAVE A REASON?! YOU'RE ALL JUST PATHETIC HICKS FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE! THE SAME AS CATTLE! I SHOULD BE FREE TO DO WHATEVER I WANT WITH YOU! I CAN STILL REMEMBER SOME OF YOUR ALLIES FROM THE OTHER DAY, SOME GIRL WHO HAD SUCH BEAUTIFULLY SOFT HAIR! HOW DARE SHE BE IN POSSESSION OF SUCH A THING WHEN MINE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SO UNRULY! AND THAT BOY TOY OF HERS THAT DARED TO SHOW LOVE TO HER IN FRONT OF ME! THEY SHOULD BE GRATEFUL ANYONE PAID SO MUCH ATTENTION TO THEM!"

She would have said more, but Tatsumi had lost his temper, and planted his fist square in her face, knocking her back to the ground.

Tatsumi didn't stop there. He straddled her and punched her repeatedly, breaking her nose, jaw, and teeth, warm blood and spittle flying from her face.

Leone looked amazed.

 _"Wow. As heinous as she is, this is pretty impressive."_

Tatsumi placed his left hand on Aria's neck, then held up his right hand and let out his hidden blade. Leone and Akame stood there, waiting for him to deliver the final blow. But amazingly, as Tatsumi seemed to calm down, he hesitated in thrusting the blade. To their shock, he retracted the weapon, and got up off of her.

"Seriously?" Leone asked.

"You still won't kill her?" Akame asked.

Tatsumi turned towards them.

"You misinterpret me."

He grabbed the sadistic girl by the scruff of her neck, lifting her off the ground.

"I could just outright kill you. But, having seen all the murder you've committed, I think it would only be fitting for you to die by one of your own toys."

Tatsumi looked around the shed, and saw what he was looking for.

"Perfect."

He dragged Aria over to the chosen device, a guillotine. He forced her head into it, her screaming the whole time.

"Any last words?" Tatsumi said indifferently. Aria looked at him.

"You'll regret this."

Tatsumi continued to look emotionless.

"I don't give a damn."

He put his hand on the guillotine's lever.

"Head's up."

He dropped the blade, and Aria's head rolled along the floor.

Breathing heavily in barely contained rage and concern, Tatsumi kept his hand on the lever, remembering something Aria spouted during her rant.

 _"She said that a pair of Assassins, a girl with beautiful hair and her boyfriend were victims of this place. There are only two couples I know that fit that description to the mark."_

Tatsumi walked deeper into the shed, looking around at the corpses. To his immense relief, the people he was looking for weren't there. He quickly went back to the entrance, and noticed Aria's disembodied head on the ground. He stared at the pained expression on the head for a few seconds. He wound his leg back, then kicked the head like a soccer ball deeper into the shed.

As he exited, Leone called him.

"Whoo boy, that was really something, Tats!" Leone said.

Tatsumi looked down.

"Yeah. It was".

Akame walked over.

"The mission is complete Leone. Let's head back."

"Wait a second." Tatsumi's voice rang out.

Akame turned, and saw Tatsumi walking over.

"Tell me, is the entire Capital like this?"

They nodded grimly.

"It's people like these that we get hired to take out, and business is booming." Leone said.

Tatsumi got the hint.

"You mind if I tag along?"

Leone grinned.

"You actually wanna' come with us?"

"I see no better option here. I have no place to stay, and no friends to rely on. Besides, you seem to hate the corruption here just as much as I do. I don't know if you guys are capable of ending it all, but it's a start. So when do we leave?"

Leone's grin grew wider.

"Right now if you're serious. But you know, you have no valid reason to trust us."

Tatsumi grinned back.

"And you have no valid reason to trust me Ms. Wylde, so I guess we can call it even."

Leone laughed at his purposefully ridiculous reasoning.

"What's so funny?" Akame asked. Leone patted her head.

"Don't worry about it, let's just get going. Hope you can keep up, Tatsumi!"

Tatsumi followed the two assassins back into the city, and onto the rooftop of a building. There, he saw everyone he spotted from the window. The pink sniper, the green string manipulator, the black swordswoman, the silver knight, the yellow lioness, and a person he hadn't seen yet, the purple scissor-wielding girl who killed the mother.

"Leone, Akame, what took you so long? And who's that?" The sniper said, pointing at Tatsumi.

Leone grinned big.

"This right here is our new friend!"

The sniper looked a little closer. She gained a shocked look.

"Hold on on sec! This is the guy who blew you up!"

She was about to lift up her gun, when Tatsumi held out his hand to keep the barrel from pointing at him.

"First off, I ALMOST blew her up. Second, the only reason we fought was because I thought your group was targeting innocents. Leone cleared that misunderstanding up already."

Said woman put a hand on Tatsumi's shoulder.

"You guys can trust him. He'll soon be a new member!"

Tatsumi looked shocked.

"You're already accepting me?"

Leone patted him on the back.

"Hey, you wanted to join, didn't you? Now let's go!"

The assassins leapt off the roof, and away from the city, Tatsumi following closely.

 _"I may not have found my old friends, but it seems I've made some new ones. Maybe there's hope after all."_

 _Back at the shed, about an hour after Night Raid and Tatsumi had left:_

"There were no survivors sir." A boy with black hair and a sweatband said to a taller man with light blonde hair barely visible under his hood. "Looks like Night Raid beat us to the punch."

He turned towards the shed, a barely contained rage in his eyes.

"I was hoping to get some payback. It's because of them that Sayo is barely hanging on."

The man simply looked at the shed.

"True, but there's something strange Ieyasu. I found the disembodied head of the girl, Aria, in that shed."

Ieyasu raised a brow.

"What's so strange about that?"

The man turned towards the shed.

"Her body was on a guillotine, so that's obviously how the murder was carried out. However, there was a lot of blood and broken areas on the head, so whoever killed her gave her quite the beating first. Also, the head was much further into the shed, so far that it couldn't have just rolled away. It was either thrown or kicked."

Ieyasu crossed his arms.

"What's your point? You know as well as I do that Night Raid isn't exactly subtle."

The man turned towards him, eyes narrowed.

"Night Raid may be messier than us, but they've never carried out a job in this particular fashion. They're not worried about leaving an impression, they simply carry out the hit, and leave. Whoever killed the girl did so with passion. Likely someone who knew one of her victims, or hated the Templars, or even both."

He turned to leave.

"There's another player at this game."

 _ **Chapter 2 Preview:**_

 _ **Tatsumi had only just learned of the darkness he faces, and now is being thrown headfirst into its grasp. With something to prove, and a bloody vengeance to motivate him, nothing shall stand in his way.**_

 **"Whether I like it or not, this life chose me, and I'm not about to just walk away."**

 _ **Next time on Assassin's Creed: Night Raid:**_

 _ **Chapter 2: No Hesitation**_


	2. No Hesitation

**_Previously on Assassin's Creed: Night Raid:_**

 ** _Having finally arrived at the Capital, Tatsumi has begun his mission take back a city plagued with corruption. After narrowly avoiding death and assisting in the assassination of a family who wanted to kill him, he has made an attempt to find allies in the syndicate of contract killers, Night Raid. Will he succeed, and offer a new hope to the Revolution?_**

Tatsumi was standing on the edge of a cliff, near Night Raid's hideout. Being an assassin's base, you'd think it would be more covert. Nope. It was a huge fortress in the side of a mountain. It was far away enough from the city to remain a secret, but you didn't need to get too close to see it.

Tatsumi was dressed more casually, his trench coat and black shirt traded for a grey shirt with a blue collar, and was now wearing tan pants. He still had his boots, and fingerless gloves, and had his hidden blades gauntlets. (Hey, you never know).

Suddenly, Tatsumi felt someone hug him from behind, and could feel what felt like two large soft spheres on top of his head. He immediately pulled away with a blush.

"Leone?! What the heck?!"

The blonde assassin smiled brightly.

"Just messing with you! You have been out here a while!"

She walked a little closer.

"Speaking of messing with people..."

 **BAM!**

"FUCK!" Tatsumi shouted, rubbing the bump on his head. He turned to the blonde who clocked him, who was grinning brightly, as usual.

"What the hell was that for?!"

Leone counted off on her fingers.

"Let's see. When we met last night, you stabbed me, shot me, punched me, knocked me out a window, and, I know I'm forgetting something… Oh yeah, TRIED TO BLOW ME TO KINGDOM COME!"

Tatsumi was still rubbing the bump on his head.

"And I failed. You're welcome."

 **BAM!**

"GODDAMMIT LADY!"

Now he was nursing two bumps.

"How do you expect me to be an asset if I can't even see straight?!"

"Man up." She said with a smirk. "Just be happy I'm willing to call it even after only two of those."

"What happened to it being water under the bridge?"

Leone shrugged.

"Yeah, I thought about it for a bit, and figured I shouldn't have let you off that easily."

Tatsumi sighed, then relented.

"Alright, I get it."

Tatsumi then pondered what Leone said.

 _"Wait a sec, was she planning on decking me twice from the very beginning?"_

She put him in a friendly one-armed headlock.

"Now come on! If you're gonna' join us, first step is to get acquainted!"

She started dragging him by the back of his shirt to the base, much to his protest.

 ** _Chapter 2: No Hesitation_**

Tatsumi was now in Night Raid's base, being introduced by Leone to one of their members, the purple-haired girl with glasses. He learned her name was Sheele Chaitali.

"Huh? You haven't joined us yet?" Sheele asked, sitting at a table with a book in hand.

Tatsumi shook his head.

"I intend to join, but nothing's set in stone yet."

Sheele looked confused.

"Stone? What stone?"

Tatsumi looked equally confused. Leone nudged him.

"She's kinda' scatterbrained. Don't use too many metaphors, she'll almost always take them literally."

Tatsumi gained a look of understanding.

"Oh, um, what I meant to say is, it's not really official yet."

Leone jumped in.

"Well, he's on the right path, so how about you give some words of encouragement, Sheele?"

Sheele put her hand to her chin.

"Uh, okay. Well, you should join. After all..."

A light reflected off her glasses, giving a creepy look.

"Since you've seen our base, if you don't join, we might have to kill you."

Tatsumi looked exasperated.

"So encouraging, it brings me to tears." He said with obvious sarcasm.

Then Tatsumi saw the cover of the book she was reading.

 _101 Ways to Fix Airheadedness_

 _"A clumsy assassin? Now I've seen everything."_

"What the hell Leone?! Why is he here?!" A loud voice rang out.

Tatsumi turned towards the entrance of the room they were in, and saw, standing in the entrance, the sniper girl. Now that he was actually paying attention, it was obvious that her favorite color was pink. Pink dress, pink shoes, even pink hair that was done in pigtails.

 _"Scratch that. NOW I've seen everything."_

Leone put a hand on Tatsumi's shoulder.

"I told you before Mine! He's one of us now!"

"Oh really? And no one asked for **my** opinion?" The girl, now known as Mine, said while walking towards Tatsumi. She glared at him, trying to stare him down, while Tatsumi stood there with a confused look. Mine abruptly turned away.

"No way. I won't allow it." She said.

"I'll probably regret asking, but what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Tatsumi asked with a deadpan.

"In spite of what happened last night, you don't seem cut out for this line of work." Mine responded with a smirk.

Naturally, Tatsumi felt pretty insulted. Who the hell did this brat think she was?

"Really? And you're the expert on that topic, Pinky?"

Mine turned around, face red in anger.

"PINKY?! That's Mine Iris to you pal! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Tatsumi got in her face.

"Tatsumi Diabolos. A boy who has been learning to kill since before his stones even dropped."

Mine looked like she would burst a blood vessel, but then smirked.

"So you hit it that recently, huh?"

Tatsumi clenched his fist.

"Listen here you piece of crap..."

Leone grabbed Tatsumi's arm and pulled him along before things got ugly.

"Don't worry, that's just how Mine says hello!"

Tatsumi gave Mine one last dirty look.

"Well, that was one hell of a greeting."

They went outside to a wide open field surrounded by greenery, which Tatsumi correctly assumed to be the training grounds. In the center of it was a muscular, shirtless man with gray shorts and boots, and black hair in a pompadour. He was practicing with a wooden pole, wielding it like a spear with excellent proficiency.

 _"Whoa, he must be good with a spear."_ Tatsumi thought before the man swung the pole, so strong that it created a huge gust of wind.

"The dude who reeks of sweat over there is Bulat, arguably our strongest." Leone said.

"No kidding." Tatsumi said, eyes slightly widened.

Having finished his exercise, Bulat turned and saw Tatsumi and Leone. He walked over with a smile and a wave.

"Hey, aren't you that kid who tagged along with us last night?" He said.

Tatsumi quirked a brow.

"'Us'? Pardon me, but I don't remember seeing you there."

Bulat simply smiled.

"Ah, I should've figured you wouldn't recognize me."

He pointed a thumb to himself.

"I was wearing my armor when we first met."

Tatsumi remembered the silver-armored man with the red spear from last night, and realized Bulat was the only one he's met whose physique fit it.

"Wait, you were that knight?"

Bulat chuckled.

"I wouldn't really call myself a knight, but yes, that was me. Anyways..."

He held out his hand.

"The name's Bulat Steel. Pleasure's mine."

Tatsumi smiled and accepted the handshake.

"Nice to meet you."

 _"Finally, someone who seems normal."_

When they let go, Leone chimed in.

"Just so you know Tats, he's gay."

Tatsumi stepped back with a shocked expression, and Bulat chuckled again.

"Now now, don't give him that kind of idea."

Tatsumi could've sworn he saw a sparkle in Bulat's eye.

"At least not yet."

Tatsumi's facial expression reached a new level of creeped out.

 _"Goddammit, I was so close!"_

Leone pulled Tatsumi away.

"Anyways, time for the next guy!"

Leone led him to what appeared to be the back entrance to a hot spring, and lying on the ground nearby was the string manipulator from last night. Green hair and trench coat, and red fingerless gloves. He had blue jeans, brown shoes, and red-rimmed goggles perched on his head. He was watching the hot spring with a perverted grin, and binoculars.

"Oh yeah, it's almost time for Leone's bath!"

Then he stood up with a fist held up and a triumphant grin.

"I'd pay just about any price for a sneak peek at that smokin' hot body!"

Leone walked behind him with an annoyed expression.

"Then that will be two broken fingers, sir." Leone said, mimicking the tone of a cashier.

"AAAAAH! OOF!"

The green guy yelled in pain and fear as Leone forced him to the ground, holding his left arm in an awkward position.

"I swear, you never learn, dumbass."

"OWOWOWOWOW!" He yelled.

"Next time I'll break your arm." Leone said while twisting his arm further.

"AAH! Okay, Okay! You made your point! MERCY!"

Leone ignored his pleas and turned to Tatsumi.

"Tatsumi, meat Lubbock Kumo. As you can see, he's an idiot."

Tatsumi looked with a sweat drop.

"Yeah, I can see it."

Leone finally let Lubbock up, who turned to Tatsumi.

"So, you're that guy who fought with Akame and Leone last night, right?"

"Um, yeah. Why?" Tatsumi said, right before Lubbock got in his face.

"DUDE! How are you alive?! I've never seen someone survive a fight with one of them, much less the both of them!"

 **WHAM!**

Leone promptly shut him up by slugging him in the back of the head.

"Sorry about that. Like I said, he's an idiot. Time to move on!"

Tatsumi was inwardly exploding.

 _"What the hell was I thinking?! These guys are a bunch of circus freaks!"_

Leone was now leading Tatsumi along the edge of a creek.

"Okay, there's one more for you to meet." Leone said.

"I'm not sure if I can handle one more." Tatsumi said.

"Hehe, don't worry you'll make it. Now this next one's a cutie, so try not to stare. While Bulat is our most powerful, she's arguably our most efficient, and she's stuffing her face over by that fire."

Leone pointed towards someone sitting in front of a campfire, with what looked like a giant bird on a spit above it. The girl sitting in front of it was the same girl who he had swordfought, though now she wasn't wearing gloves or her trench coat.

"Hey, Akame!" Leone shouted.

Akame turned around with a piece of food sticking out of her mouth. Tatsumi then noticed something about the bird she was eating.

"Wait, that bird she's eating, isn't that an Evilbird? That rare, powerful Danger Beast that's been known to be able to destroy small towns?" Tatsumi said while looking at Akame, impressed.

"Akame is our resident wild child. Killing this was probably a cinch for her." Leone responded.

"Here Leone, have some." Akame said, tossing Leone a piece of the meat. She scarfed it down.

"Cool, thanks!"

Leone turned to Tatsumi.

"Tatsumi Diabolos, meet Akame Night."

Akame looked at Tatsumi with another piece of meat in her hands.

"Have you joined us yet?" She asked.

Tatsumi shook his head.

"I'd like to, but I don't think it's official yet."

Akame tossed him the meat.

"If you think us allies, that's good."

Tatsumi smiled, then took a bite. His eyes widened.

 _"Goddamn, this is delicious!"_

He scarfed it down, and was about to ask where Akame found the bird when Leone spoke up.

"So Akame, have you noticed how everyone seems so high strung today?"

 _"High strung? How did she get that impression?"_ Tatsumi wondered.

"That's because the Boss is back." Akame quickly said.

 _"The boss?"_

Tatsumi then looked behind the fire, and saw a woman who was completely dressed in black. Shirt, pants, shoes, and a trenchcoat. She was wearing a hood, and when she pulled it down, she looked quite beautiful, and had an air of authority surrounding her. She had purple eyes, and silver hair in a pixie cut, but with a long braid in the back.

"Yo." She said.

"Hey Boss!"

Leone bounded over to the silver-haired woman.

"Good to see ya! Did you bring me any souvenirs?"

She smiled.

"Now why would I do that?"

Her smile turned into an evil smirk.

"I heard that you completed your last job three days overdue."

 _"Oh shit!"_ Leone thought with a nervous grin. She took off running, and Tatsumi was going to try and stop her, but the Boss beat him to it. She pulled what looked like a dart out of her jacket, and casually tossed it with incredible accuracy and speed at the back of Leone's thigh. She stumbled, her leg going numb.

Tatsumi looked impressed.

 _"Nice aim."_

The Boss walked over to Leone, and put her finger on a pressure point between her shoulder and neck, making her cry out.

"I know that you enjoy fighting, but you can't let that interfere with the job. It may cost you your life someday, or somebody else's."

"AH! Okay, Okay! Please stop! I learned my lesson!" Leone begged. Tatsumi had to laugh.

"Oh man, Leone. You almost broke Lubbock's arm, and you're complaining about this?"

"SHUT UP!"

The Boss finally let go, and the numbness in Leone's leg had worn off. She was currently rubbing it while muttering something about pins and needles.

"So then, tell me about this kid." The black-clad woman said, looking at Tatsumi. Leone grinned and put her arm around his shoulders.

"He's a new recruit! We met him on the last job!"

The Boss looked him over, as if inspecting him.

"Does he show promise?"

Leone quickly nodded.

"He actually fought against and held his own against both me and Akame, though that was because of a misunderstanding that was cleared up. He showed skill and no hesitation, and when we had to go, he asked if he could tag along."

The lady walked over to Tatsumi.

"What's your name, kid?"

Tatsumi stood up straight.

"My name is Tatsumi. Tatsumi Diabolos" He said with a bow.

The woman cocked a brow, then smiled.

"No need to be so formal right now. My name is Najenda Gardi, but if you do join us, you'll likely be referring to me as 'Boss', like all the rest."

Najenda turned to Akame.

"Akame, gather everyone. We'll discuss this over a meeting. I want all the details."

"Yes Boss." She quickly said.

Pretty soon, everyone was gathered in the common room. Najenda was sitting on a green throne-style chair in the front of the room, while everyone else was standing around her. Tatsumi's intentions to join had just been explained in full.

"I see, so that's what happened." Najenda said with a look of understanding. She looked up to Tatsumi.

"So Mr. Diabolos, after everything you've seen, how would like to join Night Raid?" She said with an inviting grin.

Tatsumi seemed uncertain.

"It's the reason I'm here, but I'd like to know a few things first."

"Oh, like what?" Najenda said, still smiling, but with a quirked brow.

"Well, for one thing, how big of a difference do you plan to make?" Tatsumi asked.

"What do you mean?" Najenda asked, smile now replaced with a confused frown.

"See, I may not have been here long, but I'm well aware of how bad things are here. There's no way that one publicly known group of contract killers can fix this city all on their own. So I gotta' know, are you simply getting rid of a few bad apples here and there, or do you have any larger plans to get rid of it in one fell swoop?"

Najenda smiled again.

"I understand where you're coming from. Tell me Tatsumi, have you ever heard of the Revolutionary Army?"

Tatsumi looked contemplative.

"I can't say I have, though I can probably guess what they are, judging by the title."

Najenda nodded.

"Correct, they're exactly what they sound like. They're a large group of people located far down south who are dedicated to erasing the corruption from the Capital. They started out small, but over time have gained a good amount of numbers. See, Night Raid was formed by them for espionage and the assassination of high-profile targets. But when we're not taking orders from them, we're a group of hitmen for hire by the people, so long as there's a good reason for the hit."

Tatsumi's look switched back to uncertain.

"Sooooo, you're like assassins of justice, so to speak?"

Three seconds. Three seconds of mortal silence.

"AHAHAHAHAHA!"

Everyone in the room was laughing at Tatsumi, who bore an exasperated look.

"Great, what did I say?"

Leone stopped laughing.

"Jeez Tatsumi, I thought you weren't naïve to this stuff. We're assassins. Killers. Murderers. There's no justice in that. If you kill, you're a killer, even if it's for a just cause."

"Oh man, he's hopeless." Mine said, snickering.

Tatsumi shot Mine a dirty look, but then closed his eyes with a smile.

"I have to disagree."

Everyone looked at him, curious to hear his argument.

"See, I've killed before. I know what it's like to take a life. I've been doing it for years in fact. In all that experience, I've learned that there are some people who need to die, who are just beyond salvation. Even if that labels you a murderer, sometimes it must be done for the greater good. And when you think of it like that, it makes it easier to live with yourself."

He looked up.

"Though, I guess in the end, it's all a matter of perception."

Everyone's curiosity was piqued.

"Is that so Tatsumi? And how did you gain your perception?" Najenda asked.

Tatsumi looked down, bloodier memories flashing through his head.

 _"Please never lose yourself again…"_ A woman's voice rang through his head.

"I'd rather not talk about it. I got it through some, unpleasant means."

Najenda looked suspicious, but didn't push it.

"I guess that's your business, but the question remains, will you join Night Raid?"

Tatsumi looked down.

"You guys really do mean well."

Everyone looked slightly offput. Tatsumi looked back up.

"I came to the Capital knowing how bad it was. I was hoping to meet some people who shared that idea."

He turned to look around at everyone.

"You guys weren't what I had in mind, but I can certainly say I found something good."

Bulat, who was now wearing a black shirt with green chest armor and a leather jacket, smiled at that.

"So you were already aware of how things work here, and you want to take it out at the source like a real man."

Akame then spoke up.

"The corruption in this city spreads far and wide. They are plenty of others out there suffering because of it."

Najenda cut in.

"Bulat and Akame used to be on the side of the Imperial Army, a high-ranking soldier and assassin respectively. Even I was a general in the army at one point. However, we joined the Revolution's cause when we realized what's really happening. We were Night Raid's founding members."

 _"So if there's anyone here who understands how deep the corruption runs in the Capital, it's them."_ Tatsumi thought.

He steeled himself.

"This new nation, it will treat people well, correct?" Tatsumi quickly asked.

"That's the idea."

"And will I be compensated?"

"Of course. We're also assassins for hire."

Tatsumi smiled.

"Then sign me up."

Najenda smiled, and was about to hold out her hand.

"On one condition."

Najenda quirked a brow.

"What condition?"

Tatsumi started to reach into his pocket.

"Earlier I said I came here looking for people who shares my ideals. To be more specific, I was looking for a certain **group** of people, who I've worked with in the past. That being said..."

He pulled out a small piece of cloth, with the Assassin's insignia on it.

"Do any of you recognize this symbol?"

He held it out for everyone to see.

"I've never seen that." Leone.

"Looks weird." Mine.

"I think it looks cool." Lubbock.

"Can't say I've seen that." Bulat.

"I don't remember." Sheele.

"I am not familiar with that symbol." Akame.

Tatsumi held it to Najenda.

"Your input, Najenda?"

Najenda stared at it for a few seconds.

"... I have not seen that symbol."

Tatsumi sighed.

"Well, thanks for trying." He said, putting it away.

"Do you have anything else we could recognize them by?" Bulat asked.

Tatsumi put a hand to his chin.

"Well..."

 _"I probably shouldn't be revealing this stuff to them, but what the heck?"_

He held out his hands.

"... They'll likely be wielding weapons that look a lot like these."

He released his hidden blades, surprising everyone but Akame and Leone.

"Whoa, those are nice." Lubbock.

"Still haven't seen those before." Bulat.

Tatsumi retracted them.

"Well, I tried."

Akame walked up to Tatsumi.

"We'll tell you if we see anything."

Tatsumi smiled.

"Thank you."

He turned to Najenda.

"With that out of the way, Night Raid has a new member."

Najenda smiled and held out her hand, this time without interruption.

"Welcome to a life of carnage Tatsumi."

"Thank you, Boss." Tatsumi said while accepting the handshake. Though his eyes were dark.

"But you're wrong about one thing." He said when he let go.

"What's that?" Najenda looked confused.

Memories started flashing through Tatsumi's head again, the last one showing him in his gear, standing over a bloodied corpse. In his memory, he muttered a phrase, his voice seething with contempt.

 _"Jigoku no fuhai."_

"My life of carnage started years ago."

Now Najenda looked interested.

"Is that so? Well then, for now I'll have you work with the one in our group who's had the most experience with said carnage."

She turned to Akame.

"Akame, I want you and Tatsumi to have a sparring match. Gauge his abilities."

She smirked.

"If he becomes a hindrance, you're free to kill him."

"Yes Boss." Akame said in her trademark monotone.

 _"She didn't even flinch!"_ Tatsumi thought in slight panic, though he quickly regained his composure.

"I think you'll be surprised."

Najenda turned to him.

"I guess we'll find out."

As they walked outside, Leone pulled Najenda aside, and spoke so the others wouldn't hear.

"Boss, there's one more thing you should know. I think Tatsumi suffers from PTSD."

Najenda looked at her, slightly surprised.

"What makes you say that?"

Leone looked grim.

"Tatsumi made it pretty clear that he has plenty of experience in assassination, and has seen a lot of blood. But when he saw the reason we went after our last target, the people they had killed, he looked like he was going to lose his mind. If I hadn't brought him back to his senses, he may have gone into shock."

Najenda felt curious.

"Are you sure it was PTSD? I think a sight like that would shock most."

Leone nodded.

"Trust me, I know what I saw."

Najenda turned, and watched Tatsumi exit the room, intrigued.

"I'll keep that in mind."

As Leone walked away, Najenda thought back to what Tatsumi had showed them.

 _"That symbol, and those weapons. You really are asking for a tall order, Tatsumi."_

A few minutes later, everyone was outside at the training ground. Tatsumi and Akame were in fighting positions, wielding wooden swords, while the rest were watching.

"You know Akame, if Leone hadn't gotten involved, we would've fought to the death last night. That being said, now I really want to know how this will play out." Tatsumi said with a smile.

"I'd be lying if I said I weren't also curious." Akame stated.

Najenda walked to the middle of the field, off to the side, holding a knife.

"When this knife hits the ground, you may begin."

She twirled the knife so she was holding it by the blade, then tossed it in the air, putting a spin on it. Tatsumi and Akame had focused glares on each other. They weren't watching the knife, instead listening as it twirled in the air, waiting to hear the sound of it landing.

The knife embedded itself in the ground. As it did, Tatsumi and Akame launched forwards, both slashing to the side as they came in range. A loud "THUNK" rang out as the wooden blades collided, Tatsumi and Akame passing each other. They both quickly turned around, and were locked in close-quarters combat.

Akame and Tatsumi were both staying true to how they were trained. Akame was on the offensive, using her speed to give constant blows. Tatsumi was on defense, deftly blocking Akame's attacks. To an untrained fighter, it looked like Tatsumi was fighting an uphill battle, but everyone there could see that he had allowed himself to go on defense, searching for an opening for a decisive blow, though Akame's quick strikes weren't making it easy.

Neither one was budging, and they were about even.

After a few more seconds, Tatsumi saw a brief opening. When Akame had swung too wide, he went in for an overhead slash from the left. He wasn't quick enough though, and Akame had blocked the strike behind her. However, the position she was in and the force Tatsumi applied had loosened the grip on her sword, enough that Tatsumi pressed down harder and twirled his weapon, completely forcing the sword from Akame's hand, tossing it a few feet away. He made a quick slash, which she jumped away from.

Everyone looked shocked, except for Najenda and Bulat, who looked indifferent and impressed respectively.

"He actually disarmed Akame!" Lubbock said.

"He's definitely got skill." Bulat said.

"Just wait." Najenda said. Everyone looked at her.

"Don't count Akame out yet." She said with a smile.

Tatsumi and Akame were panting, but Tatsumi looked cocky.

"Looks like I win." He said.

"No." Akame quickly responded. Tatsumi quirked a brow.

"It's not over until there's only one left alive." She continued.

Tatsumi smirked.

"Right. How could I forget?"

He charged Akame, who dodged three of his swings. Tatsumi bent over on the third, and Akame used the opportunity to jump up, use his back as a springboard, and leap away. She recovered her sword, and stood in a fighting pose.

Tatsumi looked surprised.

"Well I'll be damned. The hits just keep on coming, don't they?"

Though neither of them outwardly showed it, there was a sense of joy between them. Both of them were enjoying their battle. They nodded in respect towards each other, and charged one more time, and just like when the battle started, did an outwards slash. As they passed each other, they stopped and stood in place.

For three seconds, it was completely silent. Suddenly, Tatsumi flinched and held his side. He lifted his shirt up, and saw a light red mark on his rib cage, left by Akame. He let out a sigh.

"Guess I lose."

He turned towards the audience. Bulat and Leone were clapping, Lubbock looked shocked, Sheele simply smiled warmly, Mine was impressed (though hid it behind a glare), and Najenda gave a nod of approval.

Akame walked over to Tatsumi.

"You have talent Tatsumi, and it was pleasure battling you."

"The feeling's mutual." Tatsumi responded as they shook hands.

Najenda walked over.

"You most certainly have skill Tatsumi. It will definitely benefit us to have you around."

"Thank you Boss." Tatsumi said with a bow.

The others walked over.

"Impressive Tatsumi. I look forward to working with you." Bulat said.

"That was entertaining." Sheele said.

"The newb still lost." Mine huffed, though she had a slight blush.

Najenda patted Tatsumi's shoulder.

"For now Tatsumi, I'll have you working alongside Akame. Do well."

"Yes ma'am."

A few hours later, Tatsumi was working in the kitchen, cutting up meat to put in a stew.

 _"It's a good thing I was taught how to cook. Who knew it would come in handy? Because of that..."_

"Hey, I'd like seconds!" Mine's voice rang out.

"Ooh, me too!" Bulat said.

"I'll have some more." Lubbock said.

"Me to, if you don't mind." Sheele said softly.

Tatsumi grit his teeth and clenched his hand.

 _"…_ _They're running me goddamn ragged!"_

Tatsumi sighed at the injustice he was experiencing.

"Years ago I had already trained to be a killer, studying every working technique. The people I've learned from are a group that's been around since humans have been writing things down." He said while angrily tossing the meat into a bowl. "Now I join a group that's only been around for the Revolution, and I get reduced to a fucking maid?"

"It can't be helped." Akame said while snacking on the grapes. "I'm usually the one cooking, so training with me will have you doing that for a while."

"You only became the cook to get your hands on some free samples." Tatsumi said quickly, while getting more meat to slice.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Akame said before popping another grape in her mouth.

"Hey Akame?"

"Yes?"

"You're a crappy liar."

She shrugged and went for more food, but instead of a grape, she went for a piece of meat on the cutting board that Tatsumi cut off.

"What the- Akame that's for dinner!"

"But it's so good." She said, not even looking up.

"It's not even cooked!"

Akame shrugged, and was about to grab another piece of meat when Tatsumi decided enough was enough. He snatched the meat, and held Akame at arm's length.

"Hey everyone, you want some dinner and a show?" Tatsumi said to the rest of Night Raid. They all watched, curious.

"Hey Akame, fetch!"

Tatsumi tossed the meat out the kitchen door, and Akame ran out like her skirt was on fire. Tatsumi ran over, quickly closing and locking the entrance.

Everyone laughed at the spectacle.

"Oh man, I never thought I'd see that." Bulat said, wiping a tear.

"Alright newbie, you get props for that." Mine said, chuckling.

"What's so funny?" A voice from the other end of the kitchen asked.

Everyone turned, and saw Akame standing at the other entrance to the kitchen, the piece of meat Tatsumi threw in hand.

"What the heck?! How did you get to the other entrance that fast?!" Tatsumi said.

Akame shrugged, and continued her eating spree. Tatsumi turned towards the table, expression demanding an explanation.

"Don't look at us man, just one of life's many mysteries." Lubbock said.

About an hour later, Tatsumi was still working in the kitchen for himself, Leone, Najenda and Akame, when the others walked in. He noticed each had an Imperial Arms.

"Hold on, are you all going on a job?"

"Yup, it's time to head out." Bulat said.

"Akame and the new guy are maids." Mine laughed, pointing. "While we're out doing our job, just stay here and chop cucumb- ACK!"

Mine's rant was interrupted by something hitting her and sticking to her forehead. She peeled it off, and saw it was a sliced cucumber, tossed by said new guy.

"Just thought you'd want a snack for the road, Ms. Iris." Tatsumi said with a sneer.

Mine's face turned bright red.

"Why you piece of shit!"

Mine was barely held back by Bulat.

"Come on Mine, you walked into that one."

"No, I threw it at her." Tatsumi said with a smirk.

As they left on the mission, Akame pulled Tatsumi aside.

"Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to take some lives."

Tatsumi cocked a brow.

"You mean hunting, don't you?"

"Good, you understand."

 _"I can't even tell if she's serious or not."_

A little later, Tatsumi and Akame were walking through the woods, dragging a cart behind them. They stopped at a cliff, a few yards above a lake.

"So what are we doing here?" Tatsumi asked.

"Going fishing." Akame responded.

"But we don't have any rods."

"I'm aware of that."

Akame started to strip out of her clothes. Tatsumi blushed, and was about to look away, but noticed Akame was wearing a white bikini underneath.

 _"Man, she really had me going there for a second."_

"We're hunting Elegant Tuna." Akame said.

Tatsumi looked surprised.

"What? Aren't those supposed to be almost impossible to catch?"

"Not if you know what you're doing." She said, jumping into the lake.

Tatsumi stood at the edge of the cliff, watching for movement. Suddenly, three large fish came flying out of the lake. Tatsumi looked at the bucket they landed in with shock.

 _"Is she fishing with explosives?!"_

Akame swam to the surface.

"The key is to conceal your presence, and strike when the prey gets close."

Tatsumi looked still looked shocked, but nodded. He stood closer to the edge, in a position to jump.

"Might as well make my first catch an easy one."

He released his hidden blade, then saw some movement. He immediately dived, plunging his blade into the fish. He tossed it above water.

Akame looked slightly confused.

"That was impressive, but why didn't you take your clothes off? You even left your shoes on."

Tatsumi shook his head.

"I've swam in my clothes plenty of times before. It don't really care anymore."

They continued a while longer, Akame snatching the fish bare handed, and Tatsumi using his blades to stab and anchor them. They returned to the base and cooked the fish, Tatsumi now having changed out of his wet clothes, back into his trench coat, though he didn't have his weapons attached. They were now sitting at the dinner table with Leone and Najenda, all having just eaten the fish.

"So Tatsumi caught the same amount of fish as Akame, though it would have been more impressive if he also caught it with just his hands." Najenda said.

Tatsumi simply shrugged.

"As an assassin, it's not about being impressive. It's about results."

Najenda nodded.

"Well said, Tatsumi."

Leone smirked.

"I heard from Akame that you jumped in without even taking so much as your shirt off. Is that true?"

"Yeah, so what if I did?" Tatsumi said before bringing his cup to his lips.

Leone's grin grew wider.

"It's a shame, 'cause I was hoping she'd tell me if you were hiding a hot bod under all those layers."

Tatsumi choked on his juice. When he caught himself, he looked at Leone incredulously. Before he could retort, Najenda cut in.

"Alright, that's enough playing around. Right now, we have business to conduct."

Tatsumi looked at her.

"Another job came in?" He asked.

Najenda nodded.

"Correct. Check this out."

Najenda put two pictures on the table. The one on the left was of a man with a star-shaped scar where his left eye should be, and sharp teeth forming a vicious grin. The one on the right showed an older man who looked hideous, like a humanoid toad, who also smiled evilly.

"The one on the left is Captain Ogre of the Imperial Guard, and the other is Gamal the oil merchant. Our targets."

Tatsumi looked up.

"What are they targeted for?"

Najenda smiled.

"I'm so glad you asked. Leone, if you may."

Leone nodded.

"This is what I heard from the client."

 **Flashback:**

The area was barren except for a few half-dead trees and some tombstones. Leone was standing behind one of them, and another person, a woman, was out in the open. She was wearing a cloak, and bore a sad look.

"Ogre has been taking bribes from Gamal." The woman said. "So when Gamal commits a crime, Ogre pins the blame on the next person he sees."

The woman clenched her cloak, tears streaming down her face.

"My fiancé was a victim of this. He was publicly beheaded a few days ago! This shouldn't be happening!"

She pulled a decently-sized bag out of her cloak, and tossed it to the ground. It jingled with money.

"I'm begging you, put an end to this!"

She had now fallen to the ground, completely sobbing. Leone hadn't even taken a second to respond.

"Don't worry, if what you said is true, they'll be six feet under soon enough."

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The woman said, still sobbing.

 **Flashback End:**

Tatsumi's teeth were clenched, and his fist was shaking.

 _"These people… What the fuck is wrong with this place?!"_

"That's terrible." Tatsumi said, his rage barely contained.

Leone shook her head.

"It's worse than you think. The woman was exhausted, and she reeked of disease. I think she was selling her body for the money."

Leone took the large bag she got and placed it on the table.

"She payed all in advance."

Tatsumi eyed the large bag. Though the prospect of earning that money seemed nice, she must have done a large amount of prostitution to earn this much. Also, if the execution of her fiancé was only a few days ago, there wasn't a lot of time between then and now for her to earn it. The thought that she sold her body to so many piggish men in such a short span of time…

 _"How sickening."_

"Were you able to confirm the source?" Najenda asked.

Leone nodded.

"My senses have never steered me wrong. They're both guilty."

Najenda stood up, fist held up.

"Then it's settled! Scum like them aren't needed in this world! Night Raid accepts this assignment!"

"It won't be easy." Leone said grimly.

"How so?" Tatsumi asked.

Leone closed her eyes in thought.

"It won't be too hard to kill Gamal, but Ogre will be a pain in the ass. They call him a demon with a sword. Also, as he goes through the streets, he's always surrounded by Imperial Guards, and he's so cautious he always has Gamal deliver bribes to his private chambers."

She opened her eyes.

"However, on his days off, he goes to a bar by the palace on Main Street for a few drinks, and he isn't surrounded by anyone then. Should be the easiest time to pick him off."

"Is today one of his days off?" Tatsumi asked. "And if it isn't, I don't care, I'll nail his ass anyway."

Najenda raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? You want to kill Ogre?"

Leone smirked.

"Careful Tatsumi. Keep talking tough, and we may just make you back it up."

Tatsumi looked at her.

"You of all people should know how capable I am of that."

"Tatsumi, do you really intend to just charge headfirst into this?" Akame asked. "If you go in at the wrong moment and act overconfident, it will kill you, no matter how skilled you are."

Tatsumi still looked determined as ever.

"I don't care how difficult this will be. I can't just let these guys continue to hurt more innocents. Besides, where I'm from, you don't get the right to call yourself an Assassin if you don't know how to hide in plain sight, and walk away from a kill with no resistance."

Najenda placed her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her hands.

"So you'll go through with the kill?"

Tatsumi simply nodded. Leone patted his shoulder.

"Luckily for you, today is his day off, so if you're as good as you say, then this should be easy."

Akame looked at Tatsumi with a grave expression.

"Tatsumi, are you positive about this?"

Tatsumi glared at her.

"I'm done arguing about this Akame. What if they're hurting someone else while we're here chatting about this?"

Tatsumi looked down as memories started to surface in his head. In the first one, a much younger Tatsumi was kneeling behind a closet with a terrified look, peeking through a crack, seeing an older man with stubble and brown hair reaching his shoulders. He was lying dead on the ground, a sword through his back, and a man in Templar armor holding it.

A second memory came up. A now teenage Tatsumi in his Assassin robes was kneeling on the ground, teeth grit and tears streaming down his face. He was holding the bloodied and beaten corpse of a little boy in his arms, the dead bodies of dozens of men and women in Templar garbs surrounding them as rain fell around them.

As the memories faded, Tatsumi spoke.

"I know what it's like to lose those you care about. You feel sad and remorseful and you hate yourself for not having been able to do more to stop it. I'll walk through hell before I just let someone force others through that kind of misery."

Najenda smiled.

"I like your determination Tatsumi. I'll put you up to this. Go slay the demon."

Najenda turned to Leone and Akame.

"I want you two to go kill Gamal."

Leone held a thumbs up.

"Got it Boss!"

Akame stood up and left the table to get ready.

"Akame!" Tatsumi said, making her turn her head.

"I can guarantee you, I will kill Ogre, and I will make it back. Not a scratch on me!"

Akame turned around completely.

"Not even a scratch?"

Tatsumi nodded.

"I'll even let you check to make sure."

Akame simply looked at him. Then she turned again.

"Just make it back alive. I'll withhold my judgement until you complete the mission and report back."

With that last statement she walked away.

Tatsumi narrowed his eyes.

 _"She'll be singing a different tune soon enough. All I have to do is kill some bastard who's as ugly as his name implies."_

Leone noticed his expression.

 _"I may need to have a chat with him on the way."_

Before they left, Najenda put her hand on Tatsumi's shoulder.

"Before you head out, there's something I must ask you."

Tatsumi looked surprised.

"What about, Boss?"

Najenda looked at him grimly.

"Tatsumi, Leone told me about what happened before you took out the girl of the family. That being said, do you suffer from PTSD?"

Tatsumi looked shocked, then hardened. He turned to leave.

"It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does. If you have any personal issues that will hinder your effectiveness as an assassin, I must know."

Tatsumi turned towards her.

"I'll make this clear Boss. As long as people like Ogre and Aria continue to exist, there is no force or power in the world that will keep me from cutting them down."

He started to leave.

"Whether I like it or not, this life chose me, and I'm not about to just walk away."

He looked down in slight grief.

 _"It's not like I could the first time."_

Najenda still looked troubled, but relented.

"Then good luck."

 _"As if there's such a thing."_ Tatsumi thought.

Leone had led Tatsumi to the portion of the city where he could find Ogre. Tatsumi had limited himself to more concealable weapons, such as his hidden blades. Also, instead of having his sword on his back, it was now on his left hip, hidden under his coat.

"Here we are. Did you memorize the map I gave you?" Leone asked.

"Yeah, I got it down."

Tatsumi was about to walk away when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hold on Tatsumi, there's something I need to tell you. It's about Akame."

Tatsumi turned.

"What about her?"

Leone closed her eyes with a slight sadness.

"You see, I know she may have sounded a little harsh earlier, but there are things you may need to know about her before you judge her."

Tatsumi looked curious.

"I'm listening."

Leone opened her eyes again.

"You see, Akame has what is, without a doubt, the darkest and bloodiest backstory in Night Raid, and trust me, we've got a few of those. You see, Akame used to live in a village far outside the Capital. She lived with her parents, her younger sister, and her older brother. Unfortunately, things in that village were tough, and eventually, Akame and her sister, Kurome, were sold to the Empire as slaves."

Tatsumi looked shocked.

 _"Akame was a slave? And she had siblings?"_

"You remember how the Boss said she was an assassin for the Empire? Akame and her sister, Kurome, were inducted into their rigorous training program. They were taught to kill, and to survive, all to become assassins for the Capital. In their captivity, they had made a few friends. But many of the kids they befriended couldn't handle the tough training, or the missions they went on, and it wasn't long before all those they were close to were dead. Even worse, the men training them felt they were making each other soft, and had them separated."

Tatsumi's shock increased, along with a sense of sympathy for Akame.

 _"I guess she has the right to worry about me, with a past like that."_

"However, everything changed with one last assignment. You see, with all the friends she lost, and all the people she killed, she started to doubt the Kingdom she had been fighting for. And then, her doubts were confirmed on her last assignment. She was sent to kill the Boss."

Tatsumi raised an eyebrow.

"You mean Najenda?"

Leone nodded.

"Yes. However, the Boss could immediately tell that Akame was uncertain about the current state of the Empire, and used that doubt to convince her to leave, and join the Revolution. She eventually also met Bulat, and since then, Night Raid has been alive n' killin'."

Tatsumi was plenty shocked, but still had some questions.

"What about her family?"

Leone grimaced.

"It only gets worse. When Akame left the Empire, she attempted to take Kurome with her. She met up with her alone, and tried to convince her. But she was already too far gone. Now she considers Akame a traitor, and both have sworn to kill the other, not wanting anyone else involved."

Tatsumi felt a sense of déjà vu. Another memory surfaced in his head. He was dressed in his Assassin clothes, but had his hood and mask down. He was holding his katana, which was covered in blood that was slowly washed away in the rain. On the ground was a girl about his age, wearing Templar clothes, with a stab wound in her abdomen.

 _"You left me no choice."_

Tatsumi snapped out of his memory, and shook his head.

"What about the rest of Akame's family?"

Leone shook her head.

"Akame's hometown was raided by the Capital not long afterwards. Anyone who didn't escape was killed on sight. Both of Akame's parents died. But her older brother was never found. A lot of rumors have surrounded his disappearance."

Tatsumi gave the story some thought, then sighed.

"Look, I understand what you're saying. Despite whatever training I might have already undergone, there may be things I'm not used to doing and lines I don't want to cross that I may have to in order to survive. But still, this is exactly why I have to do this. I'll prove to Akame that she doesn't have to worry about my wellbeing every step of the way."

Leone smiled.

"Then go get em', tiger."

Leone then left to take care of her end.

Tatsumi looked towards the area where he would search out Ogre.

"Time to hunt an ogre." Tatsumi said, pulling up his hood.

At Gamal's house a while later, Leone and Akame had successfully broken inside undetected. Gamal was walking through the hallway, having just left the bathroom.

"Ooh man, that bathroom's never gonna' be the same."

Leone and Akame were positioned above him as he kept walking.

"Anyway, time to get back to livin' the dream!"

Those were the last words he ever uttered, as Leone, in her cat form, had jumped down behind him, and had him in a chokehold.

"Now hold on a sec, I think I've got a better idea!" She said with a devious grin as she held the man.

Akame had also leapt down, and had thrusted her sword into the man's heart, killing him. Leone let go, and he fell over dead.

Leone stared at the hideous man for a second. He even looked more disgusting than in the photo, like a walking tumor.

"He should feel honored. That's probably the only time a pretty girl ever willingly touched him."

Then she looked up.

"Now then, I wonder how Tatsumi is doing on his end of the job."

It had become dark out. Tatsumi was walking along the road, searching for his target. When Tatsumi saw him, he was amazed by his size, easily three heads taller than him, with a bulky frame to match. He wore black and grey clothes, and a small amount of armor on his shoulders and torso. He had a large sword at his hip, and his remaining eye was a bizarre color, being red with black sclera.

"Nothing quite like knocking back a cold one after a long day of torture. Time for a drink!" The large man said.

Tatsumi felt sick at hearing those words.

 _"So he's not only corrupt, but also a sadist? Call me a hypocrite, but I'm gonna' enjoy killing him."_

Tatsumi crept up behind the man, then spoke up.

"Excuse me, Master Ogre?"

"Uh huh? Yes, what is it?" He asked while turning around.

"I have something of the utmost importance to ask you, if that's okay."

"Okay then, what is it? C'mon kid, I don't have all day."

Tatsumi lightly smiled.

"If it's okay, I'd prefer to ask in private."

The man cocked an eyebrow, but agreed. Tatsumi led him into an abandoned alleyway.

 _"This kid's not giving off any aura. I wonder, just who is he?"_ Ogre thought.

"Alright, spill it kid. I wanna' get a drink and go home. What do you need to ask?"

Tatsumi turned towards him.

"I just would like to know. Do you ever regret it?"

Ogre looked confused.

"Regret what?"

Tatsumi's eyes, while calm, had narrowed.

"Your atrocities."

He looked down.

"You've framed countless innocent people, punishing them for shit they never did. You've lied to, cheated, and tortured many good men, for no reason other than to build your own ego. In doing so, you've torn up many families, both physically and psychologically. I've met a lot of people in my life. Most of them wouldn't be able to live with themselves if they knew they were responsible for such actions. So, just to sate my curiosity..."

Tatsumi looked back up, his eyes having gone from calm to absolutely focused and murderous.

" **Do you regret? Captain?"** Tatsumi asked, his voice now having a steel edge to it.

Ogre looked thoughtful for a second. He turned around, seemingly in contemplation. Tatsumi took the opportunity to reach for his sword.

"Yeah, I regret it."

Tatsumi almost lost focus at that statement, but regained his composure, thinking it may be a ploy. His thoughts were confirmed when Ogre's hand went to his sword.

"I regret..."

He turned around, sword drawn.

"... NOT ENJOYING IT LONGER!"

Before he could even blink, Tatsumi had launched forward, slashing underneath Ogre's left ribcage.

 _"That was quick. He acted without fear. Impressive for a brat, and it's been awhile since someone's dared to defy me."_

Ogre fell forward, a small pool of blood around his waist. Tatsumi turned towards the body, bearing a grin.

"Too easy."

Then he remembered what Akame had said.

 _"I'll withhold my judgement until you complete the mission and report back."_

"Oh yeah, that's right."

He turned away.

"I better make it back to base now."

However, Tatsumi noticed a large shadow over him. He turned around, just in time to block a large sword from cleaving him in half. Tatsumi was thrown back by the force, but kept upright.

"Didn't I just kill you?!"

"PATHETIC!" Ogre shouted. "Did you really think you could slay the mighty Ogre?! A worthless little snot-nosed brat like you?!"

As he shouted, he kept trying to come down on Tatsumi with his sword, with him barely blocking the powerful strikes. Eventually, Tatsumi gave up on blocking, deftly dodging another downwards slash, them got some distance with a backflip.

Ogre gave his adversary a once-over.

"Okay, let me guess. You're one of those Night Raid punks who goes around killing all the people in power aren't you?"

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed, and he held up his sword.

"Yeah, so what?"

"'So what?'" Ogre repeated. "Do you know who you're dealing with? The weak can bitch and moan about their issues all they want, but it won't mean shit! The strong will always trample over them! I ALONE JUDGE THE FATE OF THE PEOPLE!"

Tatsumi's eyes widened in rage.

"Like hell you do!"

He leapt up, and aimed a slash at Ogre.

"YOU WON'T BE ALIVE TO KILL ANYONE ELSE!" He yelled.

As he slashed, Ogre blocked with his blade. Tatsumi grunted as his attack was stopped midway. Ogre roared, then with a quick maneuver, had forced Tatsumi back on the ground, whose sword was barely holding Ogre's at bay. The strike was so powerful, that a small crater formed below both combatant's feet.

"On whose order have you come to me boy?" Ogre sneered while pressing his sword down. "I know it had to be recent. Was it the girl whose parents I tortured? The little boy whose sister I imprisoned? Wait, I know! It was the fiancee of the little shit I just had executed, wasn't it?!"

Tatsumi's eyes widened with shock at each guess, and at the last one, they looked like they might pop out. Ogre's evil grin seemed to grow larger.

"Judging by your expression, I guess I was right! You know, I told myself I should've knocked off that wench when I had the chance! But no matter, I mean, I still could if I really wanted to! First thing I'll do is hunt that bitch down, then find everyone she knows, bring 'em up on charges, and take my time torturing them to death while she watches! And as the icing on the cake, I'm gonna' brutalize her so bad, she'll be begging for the sweet release of death! BUT FIRST I'M GONNA' WIPE YOU OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH!"

As Ogre made his vile threat, something in Tatsumi snapped. A new emotion rose up within him. Something he had felt last night when Aria had spoken ill of her victims. Pure, untameable bloodlust. In a move that was too quick for Ogre to even see, Tatsumi taken off both of his arms, and disappeared from underneath the man. Ogre looked up in shock as Tatsumi jumped up high enough to almost touch the roofs of the nearby buildings.

 _"These guys are all the same."_

He spun in mid-air.

" _They throw their weight around, using their power for nothing but evil."_

Both of his hidden blades unsheathed.

 _"I will show no mercy to the scum of this Earth..."_

He rapidly descended towards Ogre.

 _"... AND SLASH THEM ALL TO PIECES!"_

Using his sword and blades, Tatsumi came down hard on Ogre, mutilating the corrupt captain. He landed behind the man, as several wounds and slash marks appeared on his torso. He fell over, dead, a look of shock forever etched on his face. Without even bothering to clean off the blood, Tatsumi placed his sword back in the scabbard, then retracted his blades. He turned to Ogre, and said some words he had not said in a while.

"Jigoku no fuhai."

He turned to leave.

 _"In the end, they're all just monsters in the guise of men."_

"HALT! Who goes there?!"

Tatsumi turned, and saw an auburn haired girl in an Imperial Guard uniform running over.

"Shit!"

Tatsumi pulled up his mask and turned to run.

"Stop criminal!" The girl shouted.

Tatsumi took out a smoke bomb and smashed it on the floor, disappearing in the smokescreen.

"Dammit!" The girl said as the smoke cleared. When it did, she turned, and saw Ogre's body.

"C- Captain?!"

She knelt near the body, tears threatening to spill.

"No, no, no..."

She looked up, a demented angry look on her face.

"NIGHT RAID! I SWEAR I WILL MAKE YOU PAY!"

Little did anyone know, a few houses away, there was a man in a hood with blonde hair watching the scene through a pair of binoculars, the same Assassin who investigated Aria's death.

"Now I know who killed the brat."

He put away the binoculars and stood up.

"So Ketsueki-Shin Tatsumi has returned. I guess I shouldn't be surprised." He said, turning to walk away.

"The woman who put out the hit for Ogre will likely be under suspicion for his death."

He smirked.

"Perhaps I should pay her a visit."

Having escaped, Tatsumi met with Leone and Akame, breathing heavily.

"Tatsumi! Are you okay?!" Akame asked.

Tatsumi gave a small wave.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. After I killed Ogre, some Imperial Guard girl came running. I had my hood up, so I should be okay. She didn't see my face."

Akame and Leone nodded, then turned to head back to the base. As they were walking, a few thoughts rose in Tatsumi's head.

 _"That woman who put us up to this job. If what Leone said about her is accurate, she cares about the general populace, and is well aware of the corruption plaguing this nation. Also, with Ogre's death, and how brutal I made it, the Imperial Guard may just target anyone who may have bore a grudge. She might be in danger."_

Tatsumi suddenly stopped walking.

"Leone, Akame, hold up." Tatsumi said.

They turned towards him.

"What is it?" Akame asked.

Tatsumi turned towards Leone.

"Leone, the woman who gave us the job. Can you track her down?"

Leone looked curious.

"What for?"

Tatsumi looked impatient.

"I wanna' tie up some loose ends, so to speak."

Leone looked alarmed.

"You're not gonna' kill her, are you?"

Tatsumi shook his head.

"No, nothing of the sort. I wanna' find a place for her to hide out. With Ogre's death, she may end up being suspected."

Leone quirked a brow.

"What are you gonna' do? I don't think the Boss would appreciate you bringing her to the base."

Tatsumi shook his head again.

"No, she wouldn't. I'll think of something. But please, help me find her."

Leone thought about it, then relented.

"Okay then. Go, Lionel!"

A glow surrounded Leone. Her hair elongated, she gained cat ears, her tail grew out, and her hands become paws. She was in her more feline form.

 _"So that's what the transformation looks like. It has to be an Imperial Arms. I wonder which one. I really need to study that book further."_

"My beast mode has superior senses." Leone explained. "With this, I'll find her easily!"

She turned to Akame.

"Akame, you can head back to base. I'll help Tatsumi."

Akame nodded, then took off. Leone turned to Tatsumi.

"Okay, let's go!"

Tatsumi and Leone took to the rooftops to avoid attention. From a few roofs away, they eyed a small house in the lower district. Even in such a shoddy area, the house looked cheap.

"So that's her home?" Tatsumi asked.

Leone nodded.

"She should be home now."

Tatsumi started to move towards the house, then felt a furry hand on his shoulder.

"Tatsumi, I'm not sure what you're planning, but can you look me in the eye and tell me you're sure of what you're up to?"

Without hesitation, Tatsumi turned towards Leone.

"I may be a killer Leone, but first and foremost, I'm in this line of work for the people. Is that sure enough for you?"

Leone sighed.

"Good luck."

Tatsumi turned back towards the house.

"There's no such thing."

He saw the woman through a window.

 _"Now let's_ _see what I can do for her."_

Inside the house, the woman was sitting in bed, evidently depressed. Without the hood, her pixie-cut brown hair was visible. She had bags under her purple eyes, and tear stains on her cheeks. She was staring at a photo of herself with a young man with ginger hair, her former fiancé. She stood up, and was about to walk out of the room, when she heard a voice behind her.

"I hope this isn't a bad time."

She abruptly turned around, and saw Tatsumi, with his mask and hood up. She panicked.

"Who are you?! Stay away from me! Please, I don't have any money or connections!" She said quickly, while walking backwards. She fell on her rear end.

Tatsumi pulled down his mask and hood, and looked at her softly.

"A while back, you put out a hit on Captain Ogre and Gamal?"

The woman looked briefly calm, then scared again.

"You, are you here for revenge?"

Tatsumi shook his head.

"I was one of the people who accepted the job. It was me who killed Ogre."

The woman no longer looked afraid, instead just surprised.

"You killed him?"

Tatsumi nodded.

"Before I continued, I thought I'd just reassure you. You won't need to worry about him anymore."

The woman continued to look surprised. She got up and walked closer to Tatsumi. Suddenly, she got down on her hands and knees.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

Tatsumi leaned over and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You're welcome, but you don't need to bow. Besides, we may have to leave soon."

The woman looked shocked.

"What do you mean?"

Tatsumi helped her to her feet.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Ka- Katherine Vajra." She stuttered out.

"Well Katherine, think about it. You're fiancé was executed very recently, and that could make you a suspect regarding Ogre's death, on suspicion of desiring vengeance. For all we know, Imperial Officers could only be a few min-"

"OPEN UP!" A shout was heard downstairs, along with some banging. "OPEN THIS DOOR!"

Tatsumi paused, then facepalmed.

"Or, they could be here right now."

He put a hand on Katherine's shoulder, who was now panicking.

"Alright Katherine. I can get you out of this, but only if you trust me and follow my orders. Can you do that?"

She looked hesitant, but nodded.

"Please, help me!"

"OPEN UP NOW!"

The banging got louder. They were trying to bust down the door.

Tatsumi looked out a window, and saw there were about a dozen guards.

 _"Alright, I've beaten far worse odds."_

He turned to Katherine.

"We need to head downstairs to the front door."

A look of shock graced Katherine's face.

"But that's where the guards are!"

Tatsumi put both his hands on Katherine's shoulders.

"Katherine! TRUST. ME. Or we both die."

Katherine paused, but nodded hesitantly.

"Then get your ass downstairs and put your hand on the doorknob!"

Katherine ran downstairs and put her hand on the knob. Tatsumi stood a few feet away, mask and hood up, and turned on his Eagle Sense so he could see the guards outside.

"IF THIS DOOR ISN'T OPENED ON THE COUNT OF THREE, WE'RE BUSTING IT DOWN!"

Tatsumi turned to Katherine.

"The instant I tell you to, open the door as fast as you can."

"ONE!"

Tatsumi pulled out his gun.

"TWO!"

He pulled out some smoke pellets.

"THREE!"

One of the bigger guards charged the door.

"NOW!"

Katherine ripped the door open, making the guard stumble. Tatsumi fired a few shots, killing the big guard and two more near the entrance. He tossed the smoke pellets, blinding the guards.

"Run Katherine!"

The woman looked stunned.

"But where?!"

"ANYWHERE! Hide in a back alley, a club, a trashcan, I don't care! I'll find you!"

Katherine took off in the smokescreen. When it cleared, all the guards saw was Tatsumi.

"Come and get me."

Two guards charged him. Tatsumi ducked under one's swing and slashed out his throat with his hidden blade. The other tried to run him through, but Tatsumi skirted him, grabbing his arm and smashing his elbow with the pistol. He forced the guard around, using him as a meat shield as he walked outside, furiously shooting the guards. One came up on Tatsumi's right, and he reacted by tossing his shield to the ground and kicking the man in his crotch. He bent over, allowing Tatsumi to lean over him, grab his neck from the back, and pull him up against his gut, breaking his neck. When everything seemed to calm down, one more tried to sneak up on Tatsumi from behind with a forward swing from the right, but Tatsumi immediately let out a hidden blade and turned, blocking the sword arm with his left hand and piercing through the guard's windpipe with his right.

"Sneak attacks don't work on me."

He released his hold on the guard, letting him fall.

As he walked away, he passed by the guard he used as a shield, who was trying to crawl away. He unceremoniously shot him in the cervical, and kept moving.

"Now then, where'd a certain depressed lady walk off to?"

Tatsumi turned on his Eagle Sense. It eventually led him down an alley. He saw Katherine, and she wasn't alone. Two men with salacious grins had her up against the wall.

"NO! LET ME GO!"

She was pressed harder.

"You ain't gettin' off so easy this time, ya' littl-"

 **"BANG!"**

 **"BANG!"**

The men fell, now with fresh holes in their heads. Puddles of red appeared around their noggins. Katherine turned to look down the alley, and saw Tatsumi, smoking barrel in hand.

"Normally I'd just tell them to piss off, but I'm really impatient right now."

He walked over, looking at the bodies in disgust, then at Katherine.

"There are dozens of alleys in this district alone, and you just had to pick one with two rapists lying in wait."

Katherine looked at him.

"No. They were going to confront me at the house, but backed off when the guards came. They followed me here."

Tatsumi looked at the bodies with a confused expression.

 _"What did these guys have against Katherine?"_

Then he remembered what one of them said before he shot them.

 _"You ain't gettin' off so easy this time."_

 _"This time."_

Then he remembered what Leone said.

 _"I think she was selling her body for the money."_

Tatsumi looked at Katherine in sympathy.

"These were people you sold yourself to, weren't they?"

Katherine hesitantly shook her head.

"Not exactly. I needed the money in order to pay off Night Raid. When I offered myself, they paid all up front. But when I got to their house..."

She shuddered at the memory.

"... The things they had planned, I just couldn't do it. I panicked and ran."

Tatsumi considered what he just heard. He sighed.

"We can't worry about that now. We need to find you a safe haven."

"I'll take it from here, Tatsumi."

Tatsumi pulled out his gun at the sound of the unknown voice, aiming it down the alleyway.

"Who the hell said that?!"

A man walked out of the shadows into view. He was wearing clothes similar to Tatsumi, including a hood. Tatsumi lowered his gun, surprise evident.

"An Assassin?!"

The Assassin smirked, putting a hand on his hood.

"It's been too long, old friend."

He pulled down the hood, revealing his blonde hair and slightly effeminate features. Tatsumi's mouth was agape.

"Run?! Is that really you?!"

Katherine looked at him.

"Tatsumi, do you know this man?"

Tatsumi grimaced.

"He's uh, well, an old friend."

Run lightly smiled.

"No need to get defensive, I come in peace."

He then frowned.

"Though i must say, I never thought I'd see you here."

Tatsumi's eyes narrowed.

"A lot has changed."

Run nodded.

"So it seems."

He looked at Katherine.

"And you're the one who wanted Ogre and Gamal dead?"

She nodded.

"My name is Katherine." She said, finally standing up. Run smiled.

"Well then, nice to meet you Katherine. My name is Run Nephalem. What exactly are you doing with Tatsumi?"

"I was going to find a safe place for her to hide out." Tatsumi intervened. Run quirked a brow.

"Really? Well in that case, how about I take her off your hands?"

Tatsumi's expression didn't change, but Katherine looked plenty shocked.

"What?! Why would that happen?!"

Run looked at her grimly.

"Because Tatsumi doesn't have the options available to keep you safe. I do."

He looked at the Assassin in question.

"Plus, I don't think Ms. Gardi would appreciate you bringing home guests without her permission."

Tatsumi gave a questioning glare.

"How do you know about Najenda?"

Run gave a deadpan look.

"It's called criminal records, Tatsumi. She's a former general turned leader of group of contract killers. It just so happens, I managed to place myself pretty high in the political food chain here. It's one of the reasons we've managed to keep ourselves in the shadows for so long. That being said, I have more means to put Katherine under protection than you.'

He narrowed his eyes.

"Besides, let's be honest here. Are you better at saving lives, or taking them?"

Tatsumi clenched his fist, but didn't argue. Katherine looked at him.

"Tatsumi, he's wrong, isn't he?"

Tatsumi just stood there, silent. After a few seconds, he looked at Katherine.

"If you go with Run, he can protect you."

She looked shocked.

"Tatsumi?!"

Tatsumi put a hand on her shoulder.

"You've trusted me so far. just do it once more."

Run walked over.

"Please Katherine. We only have the best in mind. Come with me and we can protect you, and prepare you for when anything like this happens again."

Katherine looked at Run, troubled. She looked down, and hesitantly nodded.

"I'll go with you."

Run nodded then led her down the alleyway.

"Hey Run!"

Run turned.

"Yes Tatsumi?"

Tatsumi gestured to Katherine.

"Get Katherine some medical attention. She had to resort to more unsavory methods to pay off Night Raid."

Run paused, then nodded.

"Speaking of Night Raid, I don't know what you hope to accomplish by joining them Tatsumi, but I wish you the best of luck."

Tatsumi grimaced, then turned to leave.

"Luck is nothing but an unfounded excuse."

Run narrowed his eyes.

 _"I guess some things can never change. Hopefully a few other things do."_

He turned to leave as well, Katherine following closely.

As Tatsumi walked along the road, one thought was on his mind.

 _"I may not be a symbol of hope for the people, but that can change. Can it?"_

About an hour and a half later, Tatsumi had arrived back at the hideout. He hid some details, including his meeting with Run. Everyone had already arrived back at base, gathering in the common room to hear how Tatsumi did.

"I see." Najenda said. "You defeated a powerful adversary on your own, and have now officially completed your first job as a member of Night Raid. Well done, Tatsumi."

"Thank you Boss."

He turned to Akame.

"Now do you see, Akame? This is nothing new to me. I can guarantee you, I can handle myself in any situation you throw me into."

Akame simply walked over.

"Take off your shirt." She demanded.

Tatsumi looked at her, surprise evident.

"Say what?"

"You said when you get back I can check for wounds."

Tatsumi's eyes widened, then he grimaced with a blush.

"I did say that, didn't I?"

Akame nodded.

He relented, taking off his shirt. Akame inspected his torso. Leone cat called him. (No pun intended).

"Give it a break, Leone!" Tatsumi said.

"Now your pants." Akame said, just staring at him.

"Are you serious?!" Tatsumi asked, alarmed.

Akame's expression showed no emotion as usual, but Tatsumi could tell she wouldn't back down. He looked around the room. Najenda, Lubbock, and Mine were giving him snide looks, Sheele and Bulat were just smiling, and Leone was giving him a suggestive stare.

Tatsumi turned to Akame.

"Out in the hall." He said.

"Coming on a little strong, aren't you Tatsumi?" Leone asked with a smirk.

"SHUT UP! As if I'm gonna' let myself be stripped down in front of all of you!"

"Why does that matter?" Akame asked, her head tilting slightly.

Tatsumi turned to her.

"Akame, there's a little thing you need to learn called the 'social norm.'" He said, walking towards the hall, Akame following closely.

When they got out in the hall and closed the door, Tatsumi slowly slid down his pants, a blush on his face. Akame inspected him.

"Don't get too close!" Tatsumi said, when Akame started looking near his pelvic area.

Akame stood up.

"You're clean."

Tatsumi pulled his pants up and put his shirt back on.

"I'm so glad." Akame said.

Tatsumi turned to her. Akame was smiling.

"I've seen allies die from wounds they were too proud to admit they had, and the fatality rate is high for first missions." She explained. "I didn't want that to happen to you."

Tatsumi looked at her in surprise.

 _"I've never seen her smile before, or make any non-emotionless expression."_

Tatsumi closed his eyes, smiling back.

"I see. I get it Akame."

He held out his hand.

"We're friends, so we'll watch each other's backs, up until the very end."

Akame accepted the handshake.

"Yes. We will."

Akame and Tatsumi walked back into the room. Leone put a hand on Akame's shoulder.

"So Akame, what were his 'lower regions' like?"

Akame and Tatsumi blushed heavily.

"That's enough Leone." Najenda said.

Tatsumi sighed in relief, when Najenda called on him.

"So moving on Tatsumi, today you worked with Akame. Tomorrow you will work with Mine."

Said pink-haired sniper didn't like what she heard.

"What?! You want me working with this punk?!"

Outwardly, Tatsumi didn't even flinch.

"That will be fine."

Inwardly, there was some turmoil.

 _"Goddammit Najenda, is this some sort of punishment?"_

"But may I ask why?"

"Because out of everyone in Night Raid, it's obvious she's the one you have the most tension with. If you want to be a member of us, that's an issue that should be addressed ASAP." Najenda explained.

" _Oh man. As much as I hate it, I can't argue with that reasoning."_ Tatsumi thought, trying and failing to come up with a counter.

"Alright, I get it." Tatsumi said.

Then Najenda snickered.

"That, and I also find you two funny."

Tatsumi and Mine turned red in the face. They looked towards each other, then both turned around with a huff. Everyone laughed.

 _"I guess I'm stuck with her tomorrow."_

 ** _Chapter 3 Preview:_**

 ** _Tensions rise as Tatsumi is caught between his past as an Assassin and his future with Night Raid. As he tries to salvage his solidarity with the both of them, horrors from the past will be revisited, as an old terror is revealed to be on the rise._**

 ** _"This is just like over a year ago. But, so much worse."_**

 ** _Next time on Assassin's Creed: Night Raid:_**

 ** _Chapter 3: Heart to Bloody Heart_**


	3. Author's Note

Hello everyone, this is thirdegree101.

I regretfully inform you that this story will not be continued.

 **KEEP READING THE AUTHOR'S NOTE!**

Here's the problem. If you look at my profile page, you'll notice that I **specifically** wrote that I wanted this story to crossover with other action/horror games such as Resident Evil and Bloodborne. However, I realized that I've focused too much on Akame ga Kill and Assassin's Creed, not even giving a subtle hint towards any other series, and if I **were** to introduce elements from the other series, it would seem like a complete ass-pull. Also, I have a few other different things I wanted to do in this story that I realized I haven't thought out all too well.

So, here's my solution.

Those who have read what I've posted so far should know by now that Tatsumi has a rather tragic and certainly gory past, and knows a few characters from Akame ga Kill, such as Run. What I'm going to do is write one or two shorter prequel stories telling about how Tatsumi got to this point, and the horrors he's witnessed. When it's caught up to Akame ga Kill's timeline, this story will change depending on how the prequel(s) play out. That being said, this version of the story will stay posted until then.

Anyway, here's the driving force behind the story's plot. The Assassins start to gain leverage against the Templars after taking out a huge chunk of their numbers. Desperate, the Templars decide to pull some black magic mad science bullshit, attempting to resurrect their fallen brethren. Instead, they bring about the living dead. They decide to weaponize this discovery, becoming essentially a cross between the Templars and the Umbrella Corporation from Resident Evil. Tatsumi finds out about this through some spilled blood, eventually joining the Assassins.

Here are **some** questions that I want to get out of the way before I post anything else:

1\. The setting will be more technologically advanced, but not too much. Just slightly further ahead of the tech used in Fullmetal Alchemist.

2\. No Tatsumi/Esdeath pairing. Here's what I have planned for pairings so far. Tatsumi/Mine, Run/Leone, OC/Esdeath, Wave/Kurome, Ieyasu/Sayo, and Lubbock/Najenda. Some are subject to change depending on who I decide to kill off.

3\. I will not use Imperial Arms/Teigu. Just hear me out here. They just don't have any real place in what I have planned. However, any fans of Assassin's Creed and Bloodborne should know that both have their own sense of fantasy and mysticism, so you can expect something good.

4\. Those who have read what I have posted so far know that in this story, Tatsumi **used** **to** be an Assassin, but left. In my new version, that may change.

To those who liked this story, please don't lose faith. I'm still trying.


	4. New Story

The first chapter of the prequel is released.

Deathstalker: City of Nightmares.


End file.
